JAPANESE carrier “K” Line is increasing its fleet by 67% in the next four years to accommodate increasing demand and provide more business for its ship management business.
Part of the plan is to deploy more vessels calling in Philippine ports from 10 to 24 by 2010, said “K” Line Ship Management Co. Ltd. executive vice president Satoru Kuboshima at the sidelines of the carrier’s ship management seminar last week.
Kuboshima said “K” Line will add 280 brand new vessels on top of its present fleet of 420 for deployment in major trading routes.
He said the fleet expansion would also be good for the Philippine manning industry, which supplies most of the world’s seafarers.
“About 3,200 Filipino seafarers will also be employed to operate the vessels, about 1,600 officers and another 1,600 ratings. These totals comprise almost half of the estimated 7,000 seafarers to be employed for the additional ships,” Kuboshima added.
The carrier recently invested $11 million into a local training center to provide Filipino seamen as well as those from other countries access to quality maritime education and training.
