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Victoria International Container Terminal recently welcomed Mediterranean Shipping Company’s new Eagle service linking Australia/New Zealand to the US East Coast
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Inaugural call made on February 3 by 2,556-TEU vessel Etoile
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Weekly rotation connects Melbourne to Philadelphia and Savannah via Panama
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Service deploys 11 vessels, 2,500-4,500 TEUs capacity
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Move strengthens Melbourne’s trade access to the Americas
Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), the fully automated facility operated by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) at the Port of Melbourne, is expanding its trade connectivity to the Americas following the launch of a new service by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).
The carrier’s standalone Eagle service made its inaugural call at VICT on February 3, 2026, with the arrival of the 2,556-TEU vessel Etoile, ICTSI announced in a press release.
The Eagle service links Australia and New Zealand with key US East Coast gateways, including Philadelphia and Savannah, through a hub-and-spoke network via Panama. The rotation includes two calls at Rodman on the Pacific side and one at Cristobal on the Atlantic side, providing onward connections to Europe, Central and South America, and the US Gulf.
MSC is deploying 11 vessels on the service, with capacities ranging from 2,500 TEUs to 4,500 TEUs, on a weekly loop covering Sydney–Melbourne–Brisbane–Wellington–Tauranga–Rodman–Cristobal–Philadelphia–Savannah–Freeport–Rodman–Papeete–Auckland–Sydney.
For shippers and logistics providers, the Eagle service offers an additional routing option with fewer intermediate handling points than traditional multi-leg transshipment solutions, improving transit predictability and supply chain flexibility.
The Melbourne call enables exporters and importers to leverage VICT’s automated operations and landside connectivity to reach inland production and consumption centers across Victoria and southern Australia.
“MSC’s decision to include VICT in the Eagle service reflects confidence in our operational capability and alignment with customer priorities around reliability and efficiency. The service broadens access to the Americas for our customers while reinforcing Melbourne’s integration into key international trade lanes,” said Bruno Porchietto, VICT chief executive officer.
The service is expected to benefit Victoria’s high-value primary producers, particularly exporters of perishable goods. Vessels such as the Etoile provide substantial refrigerated container capacity, supporting cold-chain shipments.
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“Continuing investments in world-class automation and infrastructure enable us to provide the reliability and capacity customers need to scale their operations with confidence, knowing their shipments are moving through one of the most technologically advanced terminals in the world,” Porchietto said.
VICT said its automated landside systems and ship-to-shore operations are designed to minimize dwell time and deliver predictable vessel turnaround, supporting Melbourne’s role as a gateway for global container trade.
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