Malta Freeport Terminals has added two container services to its portfolio, offering swifter transit times from Malta to northern European ports.

The NC Levant Express, which is operated by leading shipping line CMA CGM and ONE, and already calls at the freeport on its southbound route, now provides services to northern Europe, hence improving connections between this part of the continent and the western Mediterranean, North Africa, and Adriatic ports.

Meanwhile, the Europe Pakistan Indian Consortium (EPIC), operated by CMA CGM, Cosco and OOCL, is expected to start calling at the freeport from next month. This service will provide direct fixed-day weekly calls to the North European ports of Southampton (UK), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Antwerp (Belgium), Le Havre (France), and Bremenhaven (Germany), with the latter being an alternative option to Hamburg (Germany).

NC Levant Express' new northbound route

Malta Freeport Terminals CEO Alex Montebello said: “We are delighted to offer these two new services to our clients, which are fast and reliable, as well as offering a wider range of important export options for local entrepreneurs.”

The NC Levant Express takes seven days to reach Felixstowe (UK), nine days for Hamburg, 13 days for Rotterdam, 14 days for Antwerp, and 17 days for Le Havre.

GSL Chateau DIF was the first CMA CGM containership to call at the freeport on the northbound call.

These added services come after the €320 million investment undertaken by Malta Freeport in recent years, making it one of the Mediterranean’s major transhipment hubs, offering local and international clients global connections with 120 ports worldwide, over 50 of which are in the Mediterranean.

18 mainline services and various feeder services are calling at the freeport operated by internationally renowned shipping lines including the Ocean Alliance, which is made up of CMA CGM, Cosco, OOCL and Evergreen, as well as MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, Marfret, and ONE.

EPIC Service's new eastbound and westbound routes

The NC Levant Express port rotation on both southbound and northbound is as follows: Felixstowe – Hamburg – Rotterdam – Antwerp – Le Havre – Malta Freeport – Alexandria (Egypt) – Damietta (Egypt) – Beirut (Lebanon) – Iskenderun (Turkey) – Mersin (Turkey) – Malta Freeport – Tanger (Morocco) – Felixstowe.

The EPIC Service’s port rotation, which will be calling both eastbound and westbound, is as follows: Southampton – Rotterdam – Bremenhaven – Antwerp – Le Havre – Algeciras (Spain) – Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) – Jebel Ali (United Arab Emirates) – Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) – Karachi (Pakistan) – Nhava Sheva (India) – Mundra (India) – Malta Freeport – Tanger Med (Morocco) – Southampton.