Date: Friday, July 28th, 2023
Source: Splash247
In the year to date Danish giant Maersk has slashed its fleet size more than any other global carrier, according to new data from Alphaliner.
After reducing fleet capacity in 2022 by 1.4%, Maersk continued to sell ships or end charters in the first half of 2023, reducing its capacity again by 2.1%.
Under previous leader Soren Skou, Maersk had stated its aim of retaining a fleet size in the 4m to 4.4m slot range, a policy that his successor Vincent Clerc looks to have continued.
In the last couple of weeks, however, there has been a slight change of tack from Maersk, with Alphaliner reporting a “timid” comeback in the charter markets, fixing six ships in quick succession.
Maersk has spent more money pursuing a goal to become an integrated logistics provider rather than on growing its fleet size, a strategy which saw rival Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) surpass it at the top of the liner rankings 19 months ago.
MSC, for its part, continued to be the fastest growing carrier this year, increasing its nominal fleet capacity by 12.2%, adding another 560,200 teu, according to Alphaliner data.
