CICT adjudged Best Container Terminal in Asia for second successive year

Beats terminals in China, Indonesia and Philippines to win coveted AFLAS award in Under 4 million TEUs category

The CMPort managed Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) was adjudged the Best Container Terminal in Asia in the Under 4 million TEUs category at the respected Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards, bringing pride to Sri Lanka’s Ports sector.

This is the second consecutive year that CICT has won this coveted award from Asia Cargo News, a leading industry publication in the region.

Significantly, candidates for the AFLAS awards are nominated by and voted for by their customers, the shipping lines that use the ports.

To win the award in its category, CICT had to compete with the top eight shortlisted terminals nominated on the basis of efficiency, service delivery levels, infrastructure and cost competitiveness.

The evaluation process included asking readers of Asia Cargo News open-ended questions to nominate their preferred container terminals in 48 categories. Nominees had to adhere to criteria standards encompassing higher operational productivity, efficient turnaround of trucks delivering and picking up containers; provision of suitable container shipping-related infrastructure;  cost competitiveness, customer service level and customer satisfaction; timely and adequate investment in new facilities to meet future demand;  innovative operating environment, facilitation of ancillary services and ease of doing business activities; and effective and easy-to-use IT systems.

The other three terminals among the top four in the Under 4 million TEUs category were DaChan Bay Terminals (China), Jakarta International Container Terminal (Indonesia), and Manila International Container Terminal (Philippines).

Commenting on CICT’s milestone achievement, the company’s CEO Mr Jack Huang said: “There can be no better endorsement of the success of our operation than to be nominated and voted for by the global shipping lines that call on the Port of Colombo.  We are proud to win this award for the second time, and to bring more international recognition to the capabilities of the Colombo South Terminal while competing and being benchmarked against some of the biggest players in the region.”

Ms Catriona Jayasundera, General Manager Marketing and Commercial at CICT added: “This accolade is a great source of encouragement and will motivate Team CICT to strive for even greater excellence. We thank all our customers for their confidence in CICT and dedicate this prestigious award once again to the dedication and commitment of our staff. We are also grateful to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority whose professionalism has contributed to the growth of business in the Port of Colombo.”

The 2018 AFLAS Awards ceremony was held in Shanghai and was attended by leading service providers including air and shipping lines; airports and seaports; logistics, third party logistics providers and other associated supply chain industry professionals representing every region and continent in the world.

Written by leading transport and cargo industry journalists, the Awards ceremony organiser Asia Cargo News is a vital source of intelligence for cargo, logistics and supply chain companies located in and doing business in Asia. The newspaper includes a range of in-depth features, news and analysis designed to meet the information needs of industry decision-makers.

CICT, which commenced operations in July 2013, manages the Colombo South Terminal of the Port of Colombo, the first and currently the only deep water terminal in South Asia equipped with facilities to handle the largest vessels afloat. The commencement of CICT’s operations is widely credited as the factor in the Port of Colombo achieving double digit growth in 2014 after a lapse of over ten years.

In four years of operation, CICT has brought some of the largest vessels plying the Asia-Europe routes to Colombo. Of these, Milan Maersk (20,568 TEU), MSC Maya (19,224 TEU), Mogens Maersk (18,300 TEU), MSC New York (16,652 TEU), CMA CGM Marco Polo (16,020 TEU), Edith Maersk and EMC Thalassa Hellas (each 14,000 plus TEUs) and their sister vessels are now regular callers at CICT.