Intra-European container shipping is witnessing a significant shift toward larger vessels. According to ShippingWatch’s report, citing data from Alphaliner, the number of containerships above 8,000 TEU deployed in Mediterranean trades has increased from nine vessels to 16 over the past year, marking a 78% rise.

MSC is leading the trend of larger vessels, operating nine of the 16 vessels currently active in the region. According to ShippingWatch, COSCO and Hapag-Lloyd are also expanding their use of vessels above 8,000 TEU in Mediterranean trades, signaling a broader strategic shift among major carriers.

Presently, the regional fleet is largely composed of smaller ships, with an average vessel size of approximately 1,870 TEU. However, as noted in reporting from splash247, carriers are increasingly willing to deploy larger ships on select intra-European routes, particularly when operational conditions support efficiency gains.

Alphaliner data, cited by splash247, indicates that 14 of the 16 vessels exceeding 8,000 TEU are deployed on North Europe–Mediterranean routes. The longer sailing distances along these corridors enhance economies of scale, making the use of larger vessels more commercially viable than in shorter regional trades.

Source: ShippingWatch, splash247