Six container shipping lines, members of The New World and Grand alliances, have agreed to create what is to become one of the largest vessel networks in the Far East-to-Europe trade lane. The new mega alliance will be styled The G6 Alliance. New World Alliance members are APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine, and Mitsui O.S.K Lines. Grand Alliance members are Hapag-Lloyd AG, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line.

The new partnership will operate more than 90 ships in 9 services calling at more than 40 ports in Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean. “We will offer sailing frequencies and direct coverage that compete with anyone in the market,“ member carriers said in a statement.

The new alliance is scheduled to begin operation by April 2012 with seven joint services operating between Asia and Europe and two services to the Mediterranean. It includes a direct Far East-Baltic deep sea service. Member carriers promise to offer fast transit times, broad port coverage and the latest vessels, with capacities of up to 14,000 TEU.

The base-plan port rotation of the nine loops is as follows:

Loop 1: Japan – Hong Kong – Cai Mep – Singapore – Jeddah – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Southampton – Le Havre – Singapore – Hong Kong – Japan,
Loop 2: Dalian – Xingang – Pusan – Qingdao – Singapore – Hamburg – Antwerp – Southampton – Salalah – Jebel Ali – Singapore – Pusan – Dalian,
Loop 3: Shanghai – Ningbo – South China – Singapore – Tangier – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – Gdansk – Gothenburg – Rotterdam – Jeddah – Singapore – South China – Hong Kong – Shanghai,
Loop 4: Shanghai – Ningbo – South China – Singapore – Southampton – Hamburg – Rotterdam – Singapore –South China – Shanghai,
Loop 5: Kwangyang – Pusan – Shanghai – South China – Singapore – Le Havre – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Thamesport – Singapore – Kwangyang,
Loop 6: Kaohsiung – Xiamen – South China – Hong Kong – Singapore – Colombo – Southampton – Hamburg – Rotterdam – Singapore – South China – Kaohsiung,
Loop 7: Qingdao – Shanghai – Ningbo – Hong Kong – South China – Singapore – Salalah – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Southampton – Tangier – Port Said – Singapore – South China – Qingdao,
Loop 8 : Pusan – Shanghai – Ningbo – South China – Hong Kong – Singapore – Port Klang – Jeddah – Damietta – Genoa – FOS Sur Mer – Barcelona – Valencia – Damietta – Jeddah – Singapore – Hong Kong,
Loop 9: (Asia / Black Sea) To be determined.