Turkey’s Arkas Line is emerging as a liner shipping newcomer on the transatlantic trade.
The Izmir-based carrier will participate in a service connecting the Mediterranean with the US East Coast together with compatriot Turkon Line and Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd.
The company will operate in the service as a vessel provider using the 2,824-teu Sine A (built 2008).
Arkas’ participation transforms the existing service into a weekly service operated with seven vessels of between 1,800 and 2,800 teu.
The service will begin on 26 February using the 2,350-teu Max Schulte (built 2015) from Mersin (Istanbul), a vessel provided by Hapag-Lloyd.
The other five vessels of between 1,880 teu and 2,350 teu are provided by Turkon.
The agreement between Turkon and Arkas is for a minimum term of 36 months, while the deal between Turkon and Hapag-Lloyd is for 12 months, according to Alphaliner.
The move marks an expansion by Arkas, which mainly operates services between ports in the Mediterranean, West Africa and the Black Sea.
“Our goal is to expand the Arkas Line brand into new territories,” said Arkas Line chief executive Can Atalay.
“Our partners in this service are long-standing collaborators, strong and established companies.
“Apart from the direct ports in the service … we’re aiming also to connect major Mediterranean, Black Sea and African ports in our portfolio to the US East coast by transshipment service with our strong network in the region.”
