Matson, a leading US shipping company, will open a fast container ship service between the West Coast and ports in the South Pacific.
Starting August 10, 2016, the carrier will set up new service routes between the US West Coast and ports in Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji.
Under the new service, called the South Pacific Express (SPX), West Coast cargo will be trans-shipped at Honolulu and provide same day of week South Pacific arrivals every four weeks, stopping by Apia, Samoa; Pago Pago, American Samoa; Nuku’alofa, Tonga; Suva, Fiji, and Lautoka, Fiji before returning to Honolulu.
SPX will hook up the company’s West Coast-Hawaii service route with its South Pacific network.
Matson will also redeploy the 510-TEU vessel Liloa, a vessel in its existing South Pacific fleet to operate the new service.
Matt Cox, Matson president and chief executive officer said that the company has been working for some time to find the “right opportunity” to link the carrier’s networks in the northern and South Pacific in a manner that enhances both operations.
The company claimed that the new service will be the only direct service from Hawaii to the South Pacific.
