Denmark's mighty Maersk Line is to commence in January a new India-Middle East-Mediterranean (ME-5) loop that will replace the MECL 2 service, which is one of the carrier's two India-ME-Med-US services.

The ME-5 will be operated by seven 4,500-TEUers on the following rotation: Port Said, Algeciras, Valencia, Genoa, Port Said, Aqaba, Jeddah, Djibouti, Salalah, Colombo, Chennai, Colombo, Salalah, Jeddah, Aqaba and back to Port Said.

Chennai, Valencia and Genoa are additional calls that were not so far directly covered with the MECL loops, reported Alphaliner.

The first ME-5 sailing is scheduled to depart from Chennai on February 23.

The closed MECL 2 service used to call at Colombo, Salalah, Jeddah, Aqaba, Port Said, Algeciras, New York, Savannah, Houston, Miami, Algeciras, Port Said, Djibouti, Jebel Ali and back to Colombo.