Matson Christens $1 Billion Newbuild 'Makua'; First of Three Aloha Class Ships to Enter Service in 2027
HONOLULU — Matson Inc. (NYSE: MATX) announced on Oct. 12 that it and Hanwha Philly Shipyard christened the first of three new containerships, Makua, on Oct. 10. About 300 guests attended, including U.S. Maritime Administration Deputy Administrator Mark Johnson and U.S. Transportation Command Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Jered P. Helwig; Matson board member Jenai Wall performed the ceremonial bottle breaking.
The three ships are the core of Matson's roughly $1 billion investment program. All are Jones Act-compliant vessels built in the United States, destined for the China–Long Beach Express (CLX) and Hawaii services. At 850 feet long, more than 51,400 deadweight tons and 3,600 TEU capacity, with a top speed of nearly 24 knots, they match the Aloha Class ships Daniel K. Inouye (2018) and Kamina Hila (2019) — the largest containerships ever built in the United States.
Makua is scheduled to enter service in the first quarter of 2027, further securing the supply chain lifeline to the Hawaiian Islands.
(Source: Matson)
Source: Matson
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美森航运集装箱船「马特森塔科马」号（Matson Tacoma）在海上航行（资料图）。摄影：Gordon Leggett，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
