Hong Kong-based container carrier OOCL announced plans to join the IDEA service, recently launched by a consortium of Evergreen Line, Hanjin Shipping and Simatech Shipping.

The weekly service, which connects the Indian subcontinent, Persian Gulf and East Africa, deploys four vessels with capacities ranging from 2,500 to 2,800 20-foot-equivalent units.

The port rotation is Mundra, India; Karachi, Pakistan; Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates; Mombasa, Kenya; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and back to Mundra. Transit time from Mundra to Mombasa is 13 days, and to Dar es Salaam is 16 days.

The first sailing of the IDEA service was from Mundra on March 26. (Source: Joc)