Red is the new black for PIL

 Sam Chambers

Pacific International Lines (PIL) has gone from black to red again, but this time in hull colour, not on its balance sheet.

Singapore’s largest homegrown containerline, which underwent significant restructuring at the start of the decade, yesterday named its largest ships in its 57-year history, the LNG-powered newbuilds sporting red-coloured hulls as part of an ongoing brand refresh which will eventually see all the company’s fleet of black hulls painted over. 

PIL’s decision to go red comes as container shipping’s most iconic red hull brand, Hamburg Süd, under Maersk ownership since 2017, was phased out from view last year with the Danish carrier opting for a single, unified baby blue coloured brand across all its fleet.

PIL’s new 14,000 teu vessels, Kota Eagle and Kota Emerald, have what the company described yesterday as “energetic” red hulls to better signify the company’s “passionate approach in providing people-centric solutions”. 

The brightly coloured, Chinese-built ships are the first newbuilds PIL ordered following its restructuring. They are also the first in the PIL fleet to be LNG dual-fuel, with more to deliver soon. 

source : splash247