According to Alphaliner, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), headquartered in Switzerland, has become the world’s first container shipping company to operate a fleet of 900 vessels.
Liner industry analysts report that MSC’s milestone achievement was marked by the delivery of the LNG-powered vessel MSC GERMANY, a 16,000 TEU "maxi-neo-panamax" container ship. This ship is the fifth of twelve sister ships ordered from a Chinese shipyard in October 2022.
According to Alphaliner data, MSC’s current fleet includes 609 owned vessels and 291 chartered vessels, covering its controlled shipping companies, including Medlog, Log-In Logistica, and WEC Lines. The company's total capacity now reaches approximately 6.47 million TEUs, surpassing its closest competitor, Maersk, by nearly 100,000 TEUs.
Looking ahead, MSC’s fleet may expand to 1,000 vessels in the coming years, with 132 vessels currently on confirmed orders.
Alphaliner’s fleet calculation includes vessels under “quasi-owned” arrangements, such as long-term time-chartered ships with purchase obligations, provided that these vessels are managed internally by MSC.