Maya Makes Her Mark
The Article Written by Janet Porter at Lloyds List.
MAYA Aponte turned four just a few weeks ago. So it is hardly surprising if she looked a little overwhelmed, and clung to her mother Elâ, as the newest ship to join the Mediterranean Shipping Co fleet was christened.
Gianluigi Aponte’s youngest grandchild joins her brother and cousins in having one of the largest containerships in the world named after her, continuing a tradition that underlines the importance of family in the MSC shipping empire.
The 19,224 teu MSC Maya was christened at a ceremony in Antwerp after the vessel had arrived on its maiden voyage from Asia, with guests encouraged to bring their children to the Saturday morning event. And just as at the naming of MSC Zoe a few weeks earlier in Hamburg, a bouncy castle and other amusements were laid on to ensure the youngsters were kept entertained.
But again, the most popular game was to roll around in the black and yellow streamers that rained down on guests after the formal ceremony and smashing of the champagne bottle, and it was not long before Maya was chasing around with older brother Oscar, big sister Asya, and friends on the quayside, Indeed, dad Diego might now head one of the world’s largest container lines, but when it came to rounding up his own children for the flight home to Geneva before he headed off to another function in Venice on Saturday night, that seemed like far more of a challenge. They were having too much fun, with little Maya looking far happier than she had a few hours earlier.
MSC commits to next generation
For MSC Group president and chief executive Diego Aponte, the choice of Antwerp for the naming ceremony represented something of a home-coming. For as he told guests, Belgium was where the MSC story began 45 years earlier when his parents embarked on their remarkable journey with a conventional cargo ship, Patricia, and start-up capital of $5,000. Diego was also born in Belgium, while another senior member of the clan, Maurizio Aponte, who heads up MSC Europe, is based in the city and overseeing a huge expansion project at the MSC PSA European Terminal in partnership with Singapore’s PSA.
By engaging his own children, plus those of his sister Alexa and the offspring of staff and customers, at such an early age, Diego Aponte made it clear he hopes to “hand down to the future generation the passion of the sea and shipping”.
Gianluigi Aponte's four younger grandchildren Oscar, Oliver, Zoe and Maya, now all have ships named in their honour, while Asyaport in Turkey is named after Diego's eldest daughter.
The shipping industry “is not an easy one and comes with many responsibilities that keeps us awake at night”, he admitted.
“However, I firmly believe that it is the most interesting industry that exists.”
With his three children sitting a few feet away, he also expressed the hope that MSC “will be a family story for many generations to come”.
But for that to happen, shipping has to remain profitable.
As he glanced around at the huge DSME-built MSC Maya, the fourth of 20 ships of that class on order for MSC, Diego Aponte sent his best wishes to the captain and crew: “May you always encounter calm seas, always sail safely… and always at full capacity.”
For as he readily acknowledges, these monster ships will only prove to be a sound investment if they are fully loaded. Anything less than that, and down go freight rates.
MAYA Aponte turned four just a few weeks ago. So it is hardly surprising if she looked a little overwhelmed, and clung to her mother Elâ, as the newest ship to join the Mediterranean Shipping Co fleet was christened.
Gianluigi Aponte’s youngest grandchild joins her brother and cousins in having one of the largest containerships in the world named after her, continuing a tradition that underlines the importance of family in the MSC shipping empire.
The 19,224 teu MSC Maya was christened at a ceremony in Antwerp after the vessel had arrived on its maiden voyage from Asia, with guests encouraged to bring their children to the Saturday morning event. And just as at the naming of MSC Zoe a few weeks earlier in Hamburg, a bouncy castle and other amusements were laid on to ensure the youngsters were kept entertained.
But again, the most popular game was to roll around in the black and yellow streamers that rained down on guests after the formal ceremony and smashing of the champagne bottle, and it was not long before Maya was chasing around with older brother Oscar, big sister Asya, and friends on the quayside, Indeed, dad Diego might now head one of the world’s largest container lines, but when it came to rounding up his own children for the flight home to Geneva before he headed off to another function in Venice on Saturday night, that seemed like far more of a challenge. They were having too much fun, with little Maya looking far happier than she had a few hours earlier.
MSC commits to next generation
For MSC Group president and chief executive Diego Aponte, the choice of Antwerp for the naming ceremony represented something of a home-coming. For as he told guests, Belgium was where the MSC story began 45 years earlier when his parents embarked on their remarkable journey with a conventional cargo ship, Patricia, and start-up capital of $5,000. Diego was also born in Belgium, while another senior member of the clan, Maurizio Aponte, who heads up MSC Europe, is based in the city and overseeing a huge expansion project at the MSC PSA European Terminal in partnership with Singapore’s PSA.
By engaging his own children, plus those of his sister Alexa and the offspring of staff and customers, at such an early age, Diego Aponte made it clear he hopes to “hand down to the future generation the passion of the sea and shipping”.
Gianluigi Aponte's four younger grandchildren Oscar, Oliver, Zoe and Maya, now all have ships named in their honour, while Asyaport in Turkey is named after Diego's eldest daughter.
The shipping industry “is not an easy one and comes with many responsibilities that keeps us awake at night”, he admitted.
“However, I firmly believe that it is the most interesting industry that exists.”
With his three children sitting a few feet away, he also expressed the hope that MSC “will be a family story for many generations to come”.
But for that to happen, shipping has to remain profitable.
As he glanced around at the huge DSME-built MSC Maya, the fourth of 20 ships of that class on order for MSC, Diego Aponte sent his best wishes to the captain and crew: “May you always encounter calm seas, always sail safely… and always at full capacity.”
For as he readily acknowledges, these monster ships will only prove to be a sound investment if they are fully loaded. Anything less than that, and down go freight rates.
