Number of laid up boxships hits new high

Paris: The number of containerships being laid up as the slack winter season nears has hit record highs. According to French maritime consultant AXS Alphaliner, the number of ships idled as of Oct. 12 numbered 568, marking the highest number of such vessels since the company began collecting data last October. In terms of capacity, the number has exceeded 1.3 million teu for the first time in five months. By capacity, the volume of ships-in-waiting is equivalent to 10.4% of the total global fleet. The data shows that both owners and operators have an equal share of ships on hold, with 5.2% each. [15/10/09]