Matson welcomes Daniel K. Inouye during inaugural visit to Guam

Matson, Inc.’s Aloha Class containership Daniel K. Inouye is welcomed in Guam with a water salute. (Contributed Photo)

GUAM—Matson, Inc. (NYSE: MATX), a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific, celebrated the inaugural arrival of its second Aloha Class containership, Daniel K. Inouye, to Guam with a water salute and welcome event at sea. The vessel made its inaugural arrival into the Port Authority of Guam last July 14, less than a year after the arrival of the Kaimana Hila, the sister ship of the Daniel K. Inouye. The company announced that Daniel K. Inouye would begin servicing this island as part of Matson’s weekly scheduled service.

Daniel K. Inouye was christened in June of 2018 and went into service in November that same year. It was the first of two state-of-the-art Aloha Class containerships and largest built in the U.S. for Matson by Philly Shipyard at a total investment of approximately $418 million for the pair. The Daniel K. Inouye will be delivering cargo to Guam from the West Coast of the U.S. mainland and Hawaii.

“We are very pleased to add the Daniel K. Inouye into our service rotation for Guam,” said Vic Angoco, senior vice president, Pacific. “We continue to find ways to open up capacity for Guam from the U.S. mainland and Hawaii, which adds greater reliability, dependability and on-time service for the island’s residents and businesses.”

Bernie Valencia, vice president and general manager for Guam and Micronesia said, “Guam has been an important hub for Matson for close to 25 years. We will be celebrating our 25th anniversary in Guam and Micronesia in early 2021, and what better way to show our commitment than to expand and reinforce our services and support for the island as it begins its economic recovery efforts.”

The addition of the new vessels has heralded a new era in shipping in the Pacific. Matson continues to further invest in its Hawaii operation, which helps to improve the overall reliability and efficiency for customers in Guam. Matson installed three new 65 long-ton capacity gantry cranes at its Honolulu hub terminal at Sand Island. Much of the cargo destined for Guam and Micronesia from two of Matson’s U.S. mainland ports is relayed in Honolulu, and the addition of the ship-to-shore container cranes, deemed the largest in the industry, help to relay cargo more efficiently to the islands.

As part of its four-year fleet expansion plan, Matson added the Lurline, the first of two new Kanaloa Class combination container/roll-on, roll-off (“conro”) vessels, into service in Hawaii in January and christened its fourth new ship, Matsonia, days ago on July 6 in San Diego, California.

Angoco added, “We have shown through this challenging time that our customers in the region can count on Matson to deliver on-time and as scheduled. We want our customers in Guam and Micronesia to know that we continue to find ways to serve them when they need us most. Guam and Micronesia are important to Matson, and we are committed to positively contributing to improving the quality of life in the islands and supporting their future growth.”

Daniel K. Inouye was named in honor of the late senator from Hawaii. Born in Honolulu in 1924, Inouye served with the U.S. Army’s famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. He returned to Hawaii a decorated war hero and practiced law before entering politics. When Hawaii was admitted to the union in 1959, the fledgling state elected Inouye as one of its first representatives to the U.S. Congress. In 1962 he was elected to the U.S. Senate and was successfully reelected nine times in an unparalleled public service career spanning 50 years. Inouye was an ardent supporter of the people of Hawaii and the Pacific. He was a true champion of the U.S. Merchant Marine and is recognized throughout the maritime industry as one of its most powerful advocates.

Weighing in at over 51,400 metric tons, the 850-foot long and 3,600 TEU capacity (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units, the standard unit of measurement for container capacity), sister ships Daniel K. Inouye and Kaimana Hila and are the largest containerships ever constructed in the U.S. They are also Matson’s fastest vessels, with a top speed of nearly 24 knots, helping ensure on-time deliveries in Guam and Hawaii from Matson’s three West Coast terminals in Seattle, Oakland, and Long Beach.

Both Aloha Class vessels incorporate the latest environmentally friendly technology, including dual-fuel engines that can be adapted to use liquefied natural gas (LNG), double hull fuel tanks, fresh water ballast systems, and a more fuel-efficient hull design.

All Matson vessels meet the new and emerging International Maritime Organization (IMO) global fuel emission guidelines that went into effect on January 1, 2020. More information on Matson’s new vessels and fleet modernization program is available at www.Matson.com.

Founded in 1882, Matson (NYSE: MATX) is a leading provider of ocean transportation and logistics services. Matson provides a vital lifeline to the domestic non-contiguous economies of Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam, and to other island economies in Micronesia. Matson also operates a premium, expedited service from China to Southern California and provides services to Okinawa, Japan, and various islands in the South Pacific. The Company’s fleet of owned and chartered vessels includes containerships, combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships and custom-designed barges. Matson Logistics, established in 1987, extends the geographic reach of Matson’s transportation network throughout the continental U.S. Its integrated, asset-light logistics services include rail intermodal, highway brokerage, warehousing, freight consolidation, Asia supply chain services, and forwarding to Alaska. Additional information about the Company is available at www.matson.com. (PR)