Tailwind Shipping Lines celebrates two years of successfully operating on the market
HAMBURG : Two years ago, on 16 July 2022, the “Wiking” cast off for the first time for Tailwind Shipping Lines in Taicang, China – and, since then, the Hamburg-based shipping company’s fleet has grown to nine vessels.
This summer, the “Panda 006” (formerly the “Kea”) joined the fleet, with its maximum capacity of 6,800 TEU making it the largest ship in the fleet. On its second anniversary, it is clear that – thanks to its particularly reliable sailing schedule and short transfer times – Tailwind Shipping Lines has become an important building block in securing supply chains, both for the fresh food discounter Lidl and for its growing number of third-party customers.
In addition to the Panda Express (PAX) service, which connects China (Qingdao, Ningbo and Dachan Bay) with the Mediterranean (Barcelona in Spain and Koper in Slovenia), the start-up shipping company now operates two other services. The Tiger Express (TEX) service operates between Chattogram in Bangladesh and Colombo in Sri Lanka as a feeder for the PAX, which loads cargo from Bangladesh in Colombo. And the Dolphin Express (DEX) service operates between Barcelona in Spain and Moerdijk in the Netherlands. With a current total of nine vessels – whose capacities range from around 920 TEU to 6,800 TEU – the Tailwind fleet now has a total shipping capacity of over 35,000 TEU.
On their routes, the shipping company’s vessels only call at a few smaller ports close to the major trading hubs. This enables it to avoid long waiting times for berths, which can happen in the large ports. By pursuing this strategy, Tailwind has been able to offer unrivalled reliability and punctuality, as has been confirmed by independent industry observers. For example, the Global Liner Performance Report of by Sea-Intelligence has repeatedly documented the particularly high reliability of Tailwind Shipping Lines over the past two years.
“We have established ourselves on the market as a premium service provider that transports goods to and from Asia,” says Christian Stangl, Managing Director of Tailwind Shipping Lines. “In doing so, we are fast, on time and reliable. This is an essential service for us at Lidl, in particular, given our fixed promotion schedule and special offers that change on a weekly basis. At the same time, we are seeing growing interest in our transport services among external customers. By structuring our services according to our customers’ needs, we ensure that goods arrive on time in Europe to our partners and in stores.”
This also holds true in these difficult geopolitical times. As long as the Houthi rebels continue to attack ships on the traditional route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, Tailwind will reroute its fleet around the Cape of Good Hope. Even with these longer voyages, the Hamburg-based shipping company offers the fastest and most reliable liner service between China and the Mediterranean.
About the Panda Express Service (PAX)
Route: Qingdao—Ningbo—Dachan Bay—Colombo—Barcelona—Koper and back
Transfer time Dachan Bay—Barcelona: 33 days (currently due to re-routing around the Cape of Good Hope; transfer time through the Suez Canal: <20>
About the Tiger Service (TEX)
Route: Chattogram—Colombo
Transfer time: 4 days
About the Dolphin Service (DEX)
Route: Barcelona—Moerdijk
Transfer time: 7 days
About Tailwind Shipping Lines
As a subsidiary of Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG (Lidl Foundation), Tailwind Shipping Lines was founded in July 2022. The Hamburg-based container shipping company transports goods between Asia and Europe – originally exclusively in the non-food sector for Lidl, but Tailwind now also offers capacity for other customers. Tailwind Shipping Lines focuses on routes with few port calls, such as the Panda Express Service between China and Europe.
By operating ships of up to 7,000 TEU, Tailwind is able to call at smaller, less frequented ports near large commercial centres, which shortens turnaround times and avoids delays. The customers thus benefit from shorter transit times for their goods.
Up to 100 employees now work at the company’s head office in Hamburg and in the agency network. The agents working for Tailwind ensure that the calls at the ports run smoothly. Via Tailwind’s own digital booking system, customers can follow every step of the shipping process live.
In addition to Panda 001 and Panda 002, the fleet also comprises chartered vessels. Tailwind has around 30,000 20-, 40- and 45-foot steel boxes and 40-foot reefer containers at its disposal.