MSC Announces Upgrades to Mediterranean Services, with Comprehensive Optimization of the DRAGON and TIGER Routes

2026-05-08

On May 6, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) announced a major upgrade to its Mediterranean services, aimed at providing customers with the most competitive transit times and broader direct port connectivity.

DRAGON Route: New Direct Services to Malaga and Naples; Transit Time from Shanghai to Genoa Reduced by 7 Days
   On the DRAGON service, MSC will introduce direct calls to Málaga and Naples, providing customers with more convenient access to the Southern Spanish and Southern Italian markets. At the same time, MSC will offer competitive transit times to Genoa and La Spezia, with the Shanghai–Genoa service expected to see a reduction of 7 days in transit time.

   The inaugural sailing of the upgraded DRAGON service is FD621W, scheduled to call at Ningbo on May 18. The new port rotation is as follows: Ningbo – Shanghai – Yantian – Singapore – Malaga – Genoa – La Spezia – Naples – Sines – Boston – New York – Baltimore – Norfolk – Savannah – Freeport – Ningbo.

TIGER Route: Tekirdağ Completes First Port Call, Reducing Transit Time by Up to 10 Days
   On the TIGER service, Tekirdağ will be the first port of call, with transit times expected to be reduced by up to 10 days, thereby providing customers with a seamless gateway to the Black Sea and Turkey. In addition, transit times from Asia to Istanbul and Yalova are projected to be shortened by 4 days. Meanwhile, Aliağa will also be added to the route, further reducing transit times by approximately one week.

   The inaugural voyage of the upgraded TIGER service is GT620W, scheduled to arrive in Dalian on May 15. The new port rotation is as follows: Dalian – Xingang – Busan – Ningbo – Shanghai – Shekou – Singapore – Tekirdağ – Yalova – Istanbul – Tekirdağ – Aliağa – Mersin – Abidjan – Lomé – Hong Kong – Xiamen – Dalian.

   According to the briefing, MSC operates six Asia-to-Mediterranean services on a dedicated east–west trunk network, offering customers efficient connectivity between Asia and Europe through an extensive portfolio of direct calls and competitive transit times.