MSC is launching Turkish reefer service to Novorossiysk
19 October 2012
MSC is launching seasonal reefer service between ports of Turkey and Novorossiysk. Service rotation looks as follows. Antliya (sailing on Fri) – Istanbul (sailing on Mon) – Novorossiysk (arrival on Tue) – Istanbul – Antaliya. The weekly service will be operated with two container ships: MSC Edith (1388 TEU) and San Vicente (1512 TEU), each equipped with 300 reefer plugs.
The new service will be calling at the NLE terminal in Novorossiysk. The first voyage sailed from Antatiya today, the first arrival to Novorossiysk is expected by m/v MSC Edith on Oct. 23rd.
Transit time from Antaliya to Novorossiysk will make up four days.
The MSC expects that service will mainly compete with multimodal transportation of perishables by trucks and ferries via port Samsun (Turkey). The new service would complement the since four years established Egypt&Israel to Novorossiysk express, which in the coming reefer season will cover ports Alexandria – Ashdod – Novorossiysk – Alexandria with the expected transit time to Novorossiysk five and four days respectively.
Egypt & Israel service is usually carrying pomegranates, citrus, potatoes, pepper and dry cargo. The new Turkish service will cater for the transportation of citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers as well as other miscellaneous dry cargo. The return voyages will deliver various Russian exports to Turkey, mainly paper.
