Wan Hai Lines will introduce a new direct container service linking Haiphong, South China and West India in late-November 2026, the carrier has announced via industry reporting.
Sources indicated the plan on 29 October 2026, saying the new service will be named China India Service 8, or CI8. The report described the launch as aimed at strengthening the carrier’s foothold in the Indian market.
The CI8 service is intended to give customers more convenient and reliable shipping options between the three regions identified in the announcement. The carrier’s statement, as summarised by the report, framed the new link as a further enhancement of its Intra-Asia offering.
Route focus and geography
The service will connect Haiphong with points in South China and West India, providing a direct east–west link within the broader Asia–India corridor. The named rotation in the report concentrates on regional trade lanes rather than transoceanic trades.
The inclusion of Haiphong in the service underscores the northern Vietnam hub’s role in regional maritime connections. The report did not specify intermediate calls, vessel size, or sailing frequency.
Strategic intent and customer impact
According to the report, Wan Hai Lines is launching CI8 to bolster its presence in the Indian market and to offer customers improved convenience and reliability. The announcement positioned the service as part of a wider effort to enhance the carrier’s Intra-Asia network.
The carrier’s plans, as set out in the report, were presented in commercial terms: to strengthen market position and to improve service choice for customers. No commercial rates or contractual details were disclosed in the item published on 29 October 2026.
The report provides the timetable window for the launch as late-November 2026. Beyond that timing, the source did not publish operational specifics or performance projections for the new service.
Sources carried the original item describing the CI8 launch; the report is the basis for the factual details in this account. The announcement marks a scheduled expansion of the carrier’s named Intra-Asia services late in 2026.