Olmeta committed to developing shipping-logistics capabilities
Marseille-headquartered CMA CGM Group has announced the launch of a new Bangladesh India Gulf Express (BIGEX) service, connecting Chittagong – Colombo – Mangalore – Nhava Sheva – Mundra to Jebel Ali – Khalifa Port next month.
BIGEX will commence sailing from the port of Chittagong on 5 April, deploying three 1,700-TEU vessels.
The introduction of BIGEX charts the Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Gulf corridor, transforming Bangladesh’s sea lane to the Gulf and India West Coast, CMA CGM said on 12 Mar 2023.
Characterised by fast transit times, exports from Chittagong will reach Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi in just 14 and 15 days, respectively.
A more efficient and greener alternative to trucking, BIGEX will get Bangladesh shipments to Nhava Sheva and Mundra in 8 and 10 days respectively.
BIGEX is also set to diversify Chittagong’s connectivity to transhipment hubs beyond the key Asian ports to the Gulf and ports on the Indian West Coast. This expands the routes to markets and further reduces transit time, such as that for U.S.-bound Bangladesh cargoes that will be relayed via Colombo.
“The CMA CGM Group is committed to developing our shipping and logistics capabilities to support investments in Bangladesh and along the supply chain,” said Laurent Olmeta, Chief Executive Officer of CMA CGM Asia Pacific Limited.
“The launch of BIGEX creates the opportune Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Gulf corridor, opening new routes to and from the global markets for Bangladesh businesses,” Olmeta said.
“BIGEX will be a game changer in how our shippers take their exports to the global markets in the fastest and most efficient ways,” added T Sivakumar, Managing Director of CMA CGM Bangladesh.
“Not only will it lead to more sea route options, but it can also seamlessly connect cargoes for air transfers from Dubai to destinations in Europe and USA,” he said.
Led by Rodolphe Saadé, the CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, serves more than 420 ports around the world across 5 continents, with a fleet of 593 vessels. The Group transported 21.7 million TEU containers (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2022.
Present in 160 countries through its network of more than 400 offices and 750 warehouses, the Group employs 155,000 people worldwide, including nearly 4,000 in Marseille where its head office is located. fiinews.com
