MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company will likely see the proportion of its chartered ships decline in the coming months, according to chief executive Soren Toft.

As “first and foremost” a shipping company, the carrier prefers to operate its own ships, although it will also be sending some older ships to be recycled, he added.

Speaking at the annual TPM conference in Long Beach on 27 January, Toft said MSC had invested significantly in renewing its fleet in recent years.