Feeder Services

Shipping Arabia, October 10, 2026 – Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Co. (DCHC) is seeking to increase vessel calls and expand SFT and SLG feeder services at Damietta Container Terminal following discussions with representatives of the two shipping lines. The talks focused on increasing container throughput, strengthening commercial cooperation and attracting additional maritime services to the Egyptian terminal.

The meeting took place on September 29, 2026, with Xu Liming, regional representative of the owners of Safetrans Line (SFT) and Sea Legend Line (SLG). Karim Hassan, Operations Manager at Badawi Shipping Agency, which represents both shipping lines in Egypt, also attended.

Rear Adm. Dr. Rafik Galal, Executive Managing Director of DCHC, welcomed the delegation and outlined the company’s efforts to strengthen relationships with regional and international container carriers. He emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation and attracting new shipping services to Damietta Container Terminal.

DCHC Targets More Vessel Calls and Container Throughput

A central focus of the discussions was the potential to increase vessel calls by SFT and SLG at Damietta Container Terminal.

According to DCHC, both shipping lines have previously operated a number of voyages to the terminal. The company now aims to increase the frequency of their calls and expand the volume of business handled through its facilities.

Galal highlighted the existing relationship with both carriers and expressed DCHC’s interest in developing further cooperation. Increasing vessel calls and attracting additional services remain key priorities as the company works to strengthen container handling activity.

The discussions also formed part of DCHC’s ongoing commercial and marketing efforts to diversify its customer base. The terminal operator is seeking to attract more regional and international shipping lines while making greater use of its available operational capabilities.

Through these initiatives, DCHC aims to support maritime trade and reinforce its role in serving container shipping activity across the Eastern Mediterranean.

SFT and SLG Shipping Networks and Expansion Opportunities

The meeting included a review of the shipping networks operated by Safetrans Line and Sea Legend Line, with particular attention to their regional and international services.

Safetrans Line (SFT) operates container shipping services connecting Asia with several major maritime regions. Its network includes the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Northern Europe, covering both regional and international container transport.

Sea Legend Line (SLG), meanwhile, provides shipping connections between Asian markets, the Mediterranean, Red Sea and European markets.

The company is pursuing the expansion of its regional and international services, with a particular focus on strengthening its presence in the Mediterranean.

These networks formed part of the discussions on potential cooperation at Damietta. DCHC is seeking to expand SFT and SLG feeder services while encouraging both carriers to increase their operations at the terminal.

The proposed expansion would build on the shipping lines’ previous calls at Damietta rather than establish an entirely new relationship.

Delegation Reviews Damietta Terminal Operations

Following the meeting, the visiting delegation conducted a field tour of Damietta Container Terminal.

The tour covered the terminal’s berths and container yards, allowing representatives of SFT and SLG to review its operational systems, handling capabilities and available equipment.

DCHC presented the terminal’s operational facilities as part of its efforts to demonstrate its capacity to accommodate additional maritime services.

The visit also provided an opportunity to strengthen direct engagement between the terminal operator, the shipping lines and their Egyptian shipping agent.

DCHC considers such engagement an important element of its strategy to attract additional customers and support future growth in container handling activity.

Supporting Egypt’s Maritime and Logistics Strategy

The discussions with SFT and SLG form part of DCHC’s wider efforts to attract additional maritime services and strengthen its position within the Eastern Mediterranean container shipping market.

The company is targeting higher handling volumes, more frequent vessel calls and stronger relationships with international and regional shipping lines.

According to DCHC, these efforts follow directives from Egypt’s Minister of Transport, Kamel El-Wazir, and support the country’s broader maritime development strategy.

That strategy seeks to position Egypt as a regional and global hub for maritime transport, logistics services and transit trade.

For DCHC, expanding cooperation with existing shipping line customers represents one avenue for supporting these objectives. The company aims to build on its established relationships with SFT and SLG while continuing to pursue new maritime services and additional container traffic through Damietta Container Terminal.

Source: Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Co. (DCHC)

Shipping Arabia, September 24, 2026 – Hapag-Lloyd has introduced a new feeder arrangement to maintain Casablanca coverage following changes to its West Africa Express (WAX) service, which now provides direct connections between Damietta and key West African ports.

The carrier will market the new Casablanca Feeder (CSF) service using slots on X-Press Feeders’ SPX1 service, according to Alphaliner. The rotation covers Barcelona – Valencia – Algeciras – Casablanca – Barcelona, with cargo connecting to Hapag-Lloyd’s WAX network.

The arrangement follows Hapag-Lloyd’s decision to remove Casablanca from the revised WAX rotation while maintaining access to the Moroccan port through a separate feeder connection via Valencia.

Under the revised WAX structure, Hapag-Lloyd is strengthening links between the Mediterranean, Türkiye and West Africa, including direct connections from Damietta and Valencia to major West African ports. Damietta will also provide connections with other Hapag-Lloyd services calling at the Egyptian port.

The revised WAX rotation is Damietta – Izmit – Gemlik – Istanbul – Valencia – Tangier – Lagos (Tincan/Apapa) – Onne – Cotonou – Tema – Lomé – Tangier – Barcelona – Damietta. It also provides a direct Türkiye-Valencia connection.

The first announced sailing under the revised rotation was Merkur Ocean, voyage 2639S, with arrival at Damietta scheduled for September 21.

Hapag-Lloyd said the network changes are intended to provide greater operational flexibility and improve schedule reliability, while the new feeder arrangement allows the carrier to retain Casablanca within its wider Mediterranean and West Africa network.

Source: Almal News

Shipping Arabia, September 20, 2026 – Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company is simultaneously handling four containerships involving 6,395 container moves, including two 368-meter Yang Ming mother vessels, highlighting the terminal’s capacity to manage large mainline ships alongside feeder operations.

The four vessels are being worked across the terminal’s container berths 1 to 6, which extend for a combined 1,450 meters.

Yang Ming’s YM Wellhead, measuring 368 meters with a draught of 15.8 meters, is alongside berths 1-2 for an operation involving 2,387 moves. Sister vessel YM Window, also 368 meters long and drawing 13.8 meters, is being handled at berths 2-3 with 2,386 moves.

The two mother vessels are operating alongside feeder services. Maersk’s 175-meter AS Sara is at berth 4 for 1,122 moves, while the 140-meter Jona Sophie, operated by United Feeder Services (UFS), is at berth 5 for a further 500 moves.

Together, the four operations represent 6,395 moves across the terminal, combining mainline and feeder activity within the same operational window.

Rear Adm. Dr. Rafik Galal, Executive Managing Director of Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company, said the dimensions of the vessels currently alongside remain below the terminal’s maximum operational capability.

The terminal has previously handled containerships approaching 400 meters in length with draughts of up to 16.10 meters, supported by berth development and deepening works and investment in additional ship-to-shore (STS) and rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes.

Galal said the infrastructure and equipment programme is intended to improve handling efficiency and maintain the terminal’s ability to accommodate newer generations of ultra-large containerships.

The continued development forms part of Egypt’s wider port and logistics strategy, with Damietta strengthening its capacity to serve mainline and feeder networks in the Eastern Mediterranean and support growing transshipment activity.

Source: Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company