News / Chilly prospect for panamax owners as alliances look to merge services for winter

© Khunaspix Dreamstime.

In its latest idle fleet update, Alphaliner reports that all vessels in the 4,000-5,100teu panamax sector are employed for the first time since the last market peak in July 2011. However, the outlook is far from rosy for the owners of these ships as the winter slack season approaches.

The challenge ahead for panamax ships was underscored yesterday by an announcement from the G6 alliance that it will merge two of its Asia-US east coast services, via the Panama Canal and ...