Wan Hai returning to the Red Sea

Taiwan’s Wan Hai Lines is making a return the Red Sea after a nine-year absence. The carrier has entered into an agreement with THE Alliance members – Hapag-Lloyd, ONE and Yang Ming – to launch a new direct service called AR1 between East Asia and the Red Sea in April.

The seven-week service will deploy seven 4,800 teu ships with Wan Hai supplying one of the seven.

Wan Hai is predominantly an intra-Asia carrier. Its last foray to the Red Sea lasted less than two years and closed in early 2009.