This adjustment follows the recent launch of the dedicated Qilin service—a direct Shanghai–Sydney–Melbourne liner offering—which enables Maersk to rationalise port calls and enhance network efficiency. As a result, Shanghai has been removed from the Dragon service rotation.  

The revised Dragon rotation will operate as follows:  

Qingdao → Ningbo → Hong Kong → Yantian → Sydney → Melbourne → Brisbane → Qingdao  

Concurrently, Maersk will refine port call windows at Ningbo, Hong Kong, and Yantian to improve berth utilisation and minimise schedule variance. The carrier states that these changes are designed to strengthen schedule reliability, mitigate operational risks—including those arising from adverse weather conditions and terminal congestion—and support more predictable end-to-end transit times.  

For export cargo originating in Brisbane and destined for Shanghai, Maersk will now utilise transshipment connections via either Hong Kong or Tanjung Pelepas, subject to customer-specific routing preferences and service requirements.  

Resource.: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/6QNdNJo1d0UG20DrpKUBOQ