Drewry: Carrier on-time reliability fell for first time in 6 months

Time:2015-08-24 Browse:57 Author:RISINGSUN
CARRIER reliability fell across the three main east-west trades in July for the first time in six months, according to Drewry Maritime Research`s Carrier Performance Insight report.

But this is still better than last year`s performance, said the London agency, which expects reliability to improve with the opening of the expanded Suez Canal.

"Suez being turned into a two-lane maritime highway, from what could have been described as a congested single country lane, will not only improve capacity, but will also speed transit times and reduce delays," said chief Drewry analyst Simon Heaney.

Yet carrier reliability fell four percentage points month-to-month in July to 73.3 per cent, Drewry reported. The latest decline was largely the result of lower reliability scores in the Asia-Europe and transpacific trades.

Asia-Europe fell 4.1 points last month, but came in second among the trade lanes at 78.2 per cent. Transpacific service fell 6.1 points to 62.5 per cent, while the transatlantic posted a 5.6 point increase.

Despite the setback in July, Drewry reported that reliability remains well above the level it was at the same point in 2014 when the east-west trades` on-time average ratio was only 59 per cent. 

Drewry expects the newly expanded Suez Canal to cut transit times from 18 to 11 hours and waiting times from as much as 11 to just three hours.