It forecast that the idle fleet would breach the 1m teu mark in the coming weeks as lines implement more capacity reduction programs.
Underscoring worsening conditions Maersk Line has idled one of the largest ships in its fleet and 18,000 teu triple-E, whereas lines have generally tried to avoid taking their largest vessels out of service.
“This Maersk Line vessel is scheduled to remain anchored for six weeks as a result the void sailings program on the Asia -Europe route. While carriers normally try to keep their largest ships active, the over-supply conditions in almost all trade sectors have left them with no choice but to idle even their most expensive assets,” Alphaliner commented.