Contship’s flagship container terminal in La Spezia wins Europe’s Best Container Terminal Award at AFLAS 2017

This renowned industry award recognises leading service providers in the international transport and logistics industry, including terminal operators, sea and airports, shipping and airlines as well as 3PL’s and other associated industry professionals.

AFLAS is run by the magazine Asia Cargo News, which is a crucial source of information for companies dealing with imports and exports in Asia.

More than 15,000 magazine readers and e-news subscribers participated in the nomination and voting process, which means the result reflects the opinion of service users rather than a panel of judges.

The rating was based on criteria such as efficient container turnaround, rail and truck connectivity, investment in new terminal structure to meet future demands, effective IT systems, and a variety of product ranges.

The award is a testimony to La Spezia’s success as a premium container terminal and reflects its strong links to Asia, serving as a gateway for Asian cargo into and out of Europe.

By using alternative routings, shippers can cut transit times and inventory costs, operate more efficiently and improve their risk management.  The strategic location of the terminal highlights the Contship facility as a single point of call for multiple markets. Its exceptional rail connections and direct access to major Italian road networks, facilitate efficient delivery and transportation. The terminal’s cutting-edge fast-corridors and pre-clearing systems further enhance La Spezia’s competitiveness as reflected by the continuous reduction of average container dwell times.

The AFLAS awards pay homage to prominent maritime and logistics players and attracts a huge turnout. With over 250 attendees taking part in the event on Thursday, a multitude of big names in the industry gathered to witness their peers being honoured and recognised for their service and contributions in the respective awards category.

The team from Contship Italia, their partners and customers were present at the event, where Daniele Testi, Head of Marketing and Communication and Peter Hill, Head of Sales and Business Development, received the award.

Cecilia Eckelmann-Battistello, Broström Tankers AB President, said: “This prestigious win showcases the significance of Contship’s Container Terminal in La Spezia as an important logistic platform that aims to deliver the best individual solutions for its customers. In the coming years, La Spezia will improve its handling capacity from 1.4 to 2.5 million TEUs and will further increase the rail share to 50% of the total throughput to meet the rising demand for faster operation that comes with larger tonnage being deployed by the global alliances on the main east - west routes. In the eyes of Asia, Contship is a respected name and this has been recognised through this award.”

So far 2017 has been a successful year. Between January and June, the Contship terminal in La Spezia handled more than 666,000 TEUs. This represents a rise of 15% in total throughput compared to the corresponding six months of the year before.