Idle box fleet on the increase
Thu, 15 Dec 2011Laid-up capacity reaches highest level in 18 months
Idle containership capacity has increased rapidly over the past few weeks to reach its highest level for more than 18 months.
Latest figures from Alphaliner show 210 vessels of 526,000teu were inactive at the beginning of the month, compared with 439,000teu at the beginning of November.
By the end of the year, the idle fleet is forecast to reach 600,000 teu, Alphaliner predicts, although this would still be half the level recorded throughout much of 2009 and early 2010, when the container trades were in retreat as demand collapsed.
Nevertheless, the latest inactive fleet numbers are the highest since May 2010, as lines withdraw services during what is traditionally the slowest part of the year.
APL, which led the way in 2009 in putting ships into lay-up, currently has the largest idle fleet, with seven ships sidelined, according to Alphaliner.
However, some of these may soon be reactivated, once service restructurings are completed.
Latest figures from Alphaliner show 210 vessels of 526,000teu were inactive at the beginning of the month, compared with 439,000teu at the beginning of November.
By the end of the year, the idle fleet is forecast to reach 600,000 teu, Alphaliner predicts, although this would still be half the level recorded throughout much of 2009 and early 2010, when the container trades were in retreat as demand collapsed.
Nevertheless, the latest inactive fleet numbers are the highest since May 2010, as lines withdraw services during what is traditionally the slowest part of the year.
APL, which led the way in 2009 in putting ships into lay-up, currently has the largest idle fleet, with seven ships sidelined, according to Alphaliner.
However, some of these may soon be reactivated, once service restructurings are completed.
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