AAL’s hard work is being recognized by Jane McIvor in the the following article, published in the BC Shipping News.
AAL continues to expand its service along the West Coast of North America as it adds Stewart World Port to its itinerary of ports in both Canada and the U.S.
In mid-February, Captain Vinnyk Olesky of the AAL Newcastle accepted a plaque from Breanne Pappin, Manager, Business Development, Stewart World Port (SWP), on the occasion of the vessel’s first visit to Stewart, British Columbia’s northern-most deep-sea, ice-free port. “We are very pleased to present this plaque today,” said Pappin, “and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with AAL for the benefit of our mutual customers.”
Photo above: Presentation ceremony onboard the AAL Newcastle while at Lynnterm Terminal in Vancouver. Left to right: Lily Lv and Tanya Britton (AAL), Miles Hollingbury (Western Stevedoring), Captain Vinnyk Olesky (AAL Newcastle), Breanne Pappin (Stewart World Port) and Jean Yi (AAL). Photo credit: Dave Roels.
With an inaugural sailing into SWP on February 12 (photo above, courtesy of AAL), AAL is creating new opportunities for mining, forestry, oil and gas and project cargo customers who view Stewart as a convenient gateway between Norther B.C., the Yukon and the Asia market. Felix Schoeller, General Manager of AAL’s Pacific Service, explained: ‘A port call option at SWP, as part of our flexible and regular Pacific Service, gives customers a wider choice that can ultimately impact the efficiency, delivery and competitiveness of their logistics operations.”
In welcoming the AAL Newcastle – one of AAL’s ‘A-Class’ 31,000 dwt multipurpose, heavy lift vessels – Pappin noted that the first call to SWP went very well. She echoed the words of SWP President & CEO, Ted Pickell who commented that “The seamless berthing and cargo discharge was a success in every regard and a milestone for our new facility. We couldn’t be more pleased.” Pappin also credited the strong support from the community of Stewart in helping make SWP a success.
AAL’s Pacific Service offers a monthly sailing frequency between North Asia and West Coast North America and deploys a fleet of three modern ‘A-Class’ vessels, each with a combined lifting capacity of 700 mt. These best-in-class vessels are designed and equipped to load and accommodate outsized project cargo alongside containers and break bulk cargo like steel and pulp.
For his part, Captain Olesky was very complimentary of his first experience in Stewart and looked forward to future visits. The AAL Newcastle, with a crew of 24, follows a route along the West Coast of North America – from Stewart to San Diego, Long Beach, Vancouver and Squamish – before returning to Asia.
