FRENCH liner company CMA CGM says it has boosted capacity assigned to lines between Asia and Europe by 6% for the fourth quarter of 2020 compared with the same period of 2019.

It is to make further additions in the first quarter of 2021, when capacity is to be 10% higher than in the current quarter.

This ramp-up is to be provided by:

  • A new class of nine nine 23,000-TEU LNG-powered vessels, three of which are already in service.
  • Two extra loaders operating on routes between Asia and Europe, providing more than 9,000 TEU in total capacity, with special departures from China to France and the Netherlands in late December 2020.
  • No blank sailing departures on the FAL 1 and FAL 3 lines since the recovery began in Asia in mid-May.

According to CMA CGM, the group is taking steps to address container shortages and port congestion.

“The CMA CGM Group has taken several measures to speed up the return of empty containers to Asia and to cut delays at the ports it serves in Asia and Europe,” the company said in a statement.

“It has arranged special services for our customers to ports less affected by the congestion.”

During the second half of 2020, CMA CGM has increased the size of its container fleet by 8.7%. CMA CGM says it is offering its customers alternative solutions that use other types of containers to meet their needs.