Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has become the first container line to operate a fleet of 1,000 vessels, reported Bangalore's MarineInsight, citing consultancy Linerlytica data.

The milestone was achieved with the delivery of the 11,480 TEU MSC Migsan from Zhoushan Changhong shipyard in China. MSC's fleet capacity now stands at about 7.3 million TEU, making it 57 per cent larger than rival Maersk.

The company's capacity is nearly equal to the combined fleets of Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express, Evergreen Marine and HMM. Analysts said MSC's growth since 2020 has been driven mainly by organic expansion rather than acquisitions.

The sector faces uncertainty from Middle East tensions affecting global trade routes. At the same time, MSC confirmed a leadership change, with founder Gianluigi Aponte transferring ownership to his son Diego Aponte and daughter Alexa Aponte. Mr Aponte, 85, will remain executive chairman.

Founded in Naples in 1970, MSC now has 675 offices across 155 countries, operates on 300 trade routes, calls at more than 520 ports and carries about 30 million TEU annually.

The MSC Group, which also runs cruise and logistics businesses, employs about 200,000 people. Alphaliner data showed the global container fleet reached 7,528 active ships with a combined 34 million TEU capacity as of April 14, 2026.

MSC's operations extend beyond container shipping to inland transport, logistics, terminals and passenger services, reinforcing its position as the world's largest carrier.