Euro thrash

摘要

A few years ago direct services between Australia/New Zealand and Europe seemed a threatened species. Now, a takeover-driven shake-up has seen the number grow from three to five, in a trade with marginal growth. This can only end in tears. It was in late November 2002 that the grand plan for a massive overhaul of ANZ-Europe services finally came to fruition. Five previously separate services between Australia/New Zealand and northern Europe and the Mediterranean, plus East Coast North America, were amalgamated into two. A complex intertwining network of routes and frequencies was simplified and streamlined into two fast, fixed-day weekly services - EABT (Eastabout) and WABT (Westabout) - featuring six of the eight major players in the European direct trades. A combined fleet of 33 ships was reduced to 22.