MSC Irina Berths at Vizhinjam: World’s Largest Cargo Ship Reaches Indian Shores for the First Time

Thiruvananthapuram: The world’s largest cargo vessel, MSC Irina, berthed at Vizhinjam port this morning at around 8:45 AM. The ship was welcomed with a ceremonial water salute by the port authorities. Although the vessel had reached the outer anchorage by Tuesday night, it was held back until the cargo from around seven other ships was unloaded. Once those operations were completed, MSC Irina was brought in for docking. This marks the first time the ship has arrived at any port in India.
Built in 2023, the ship is captained by Willy Antony, a native of Thrissur, Kerala. The crew comprises 35 members, including Abhinand, a seafarer from Kannur. The vessel had departed from Singapore on May 29 and reached earlier than expected due to reduced speed, as it was not following a strict schedule.
MSC Irina is 399.9 metres long and 61.3 metres wide, with a maximum capacity of 24,346 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) containers, making it the largest container ship currently in operation. The vessel belongs to a series of six ultra-large container ships operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). Two other ships from the same series—MSC Turkiye and MSC Michel Cappellini—have previously docked at Vizhinjam, further underlining the port’s growing prominence in global maritime logistics.
Following container unloading operations at Vizhinjam, MSC Irina is scheduled to continue its journey to Europe.