The
service will connect Karaikal in India with Kankesanthurai and Trincomalee in
Sri Lanka, offering a dedicated route for containerised cargo movement. The
weekly service will be operated by Chennai-based Connect Maritime LLP through
its Sri Lankan agent, IndSri Ferry Services Lanka Pvt. Ltd. It will use the
M/V Beypore Sultan, a 2023-built feeder vessel with a capacity of
81 TEUs and a deadweight of 1,600 metric tonnes. The vessel is expected to
follow a seven-day rotation across the route. The service is expected to
support both Full Container Load and Less than Container Load shipments, with
weekly sailings and cargo handling designed to improve reliability. Commercial
details show freight charges in the range of 650 to 675 dollars per container,
with pre-paid bookings required. Container Freight Station clearance will be
handled through Pondicherry, and the first three days of demurrage will be
free. The launch is likely to
strengthen maritime connectivity between southern India and northern and
eastern Sri Lanka by offering a more direct logistics corridor for importers
and exporters. Stakeholders in Jaffna were briefed ahead of the start of
services as part of preparations for the new trade route.