Shortsea carrier Pacifica Shipping, part of the Swire Group, is increasing the frequency of its New Zealand service – including the addition of a former German container ship.
Pacifica today published an update for its shortsea service between Auckland and Christchurch, introducing a new schedule with two weekly departures[ds_preview].
From 1 April, the “Takutai Chief” will call at Auckland alternating with the “Moana Chief” – the former “Hansa Ludwigsburg”. According to the parent company Swire, this is intended to achieve “a market-leading frequency of two departures per week”. Pacifica is a subsidiary of the Swire Group, which is an established player in project shipping in the Asia-Pacific region and the transpacific with container and MPP ships as well as through its “Swire Projects” division.
Pacifica aims to reduce dependence on overland transportation
“The increased frequency underscores our commitment to providing safe and reliable service solutions while enabling customers to optimise their supply chain management,” the company said today, explaining the expansion. The increased frequency and capacity will increase the resilience of New Zealand’s supply chains and reduce reliance on existing road and rail infrastructure.
The service update will not only double the frequency of sailings between Auckland and Lyttelton, but will also increase calls at Marsden Point to a weekly frequency, enabling seamless connections with international shipping services. Jan-Hendrik Hintz, Line Manager at Pacifica Shipping, said: “We want to promote the ‘Blue Highway’ by positioning coastal shipping, New Zealand’s most sustainable transportation solution, as the primary transport solution for inter-island heavy-lift cargo.”
