CMA CGM Group has held a christening ceremony at the townhall of Hamburg for its latest 16,000-TEU newbuilding, the CMA CGM Alexander von Humboldt, the second of three same-size ships ordered by the French shipping giant.

The christening was officiated by the ship's "godmother", Dorothee Stapelfeldt, second mayor of Hamburg; Hamburg mayor Olaf Scholz, Senator Frank Horch, representing the Ministry of Economics, Transport and Innovation and CMA CGM chairman and CEO Jacques Saade.

Operated on the fixed-day weekly service, the French Asia Line (FAL 1), the British-flagged ship has already called at Busan, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Shenzhen-Yantian, Port Kelang, Suez, Tanger, Southampton and Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge and Le Havre. It calls at Malta, Suez, Khor Al Fakkan, Jebel Ali, Port Kelang and Ningbo.

In a related development, Jacques Saade was awarded during the christening ceremony one of the highest and most honourable decorations of the City of Hamburg, the Admiralitaets Portugaleser. The award was presented by Senator Horch.