Tailwind Shipping, the German-owned container line and subsidiary of Lidl, has taken on charter a number of small-size container ships, to make up for the additional distances being taken by its fleet, operating on its Panda Express service from China, and Tiger Express connecting India and Bangladesh to Europe.
Tailwind is one of several operators who have decided to avoid the Red Sea, following continuous attacks on civilian shipping by Houthi rebels at the Southern end of Red Sea, in the Bab-el-Mandeb.
Among the ships recently announced as added to the company’s service is the 1,042 TEU capacity Chattanooga, built in 2012, and the 23-year-old, 2,226 capacity Kumasi, originally built as Catherine Delmas for French-liner operator Delmas.
Photo and report by Krispen Atkinson
