by InTrieste
One of the world’s largest container ships docked this weekend at the Port of Trieste, underscoring the Adriatic hub’s expanding role in global maritime trade and foreshadowing a period of intensified activity in the months ahead.
At 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8, the MSC Diana arrived at Molo VII, the container terminal that has become the centerpiece of Trieste’s commercial port. Measuring roughly 400 meters in length and 59 meters in width, with a capacity of about 19,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the vessel is the second-largest ever to call at Trieste. It is also the largest ship the terminal has handled in terms of operational workload along its quays.
The MSC Diana, operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company and arriving from Singapore, is scheduled to remain in port until Wednesday evening. During its stay, terminal operators expect approximately 4,200 container movements, including both loading and unloading operations. Port authorities estimate that the call will generate more than 1,000 worker shifts over three days, amounting to roughly 6,000 hours of labor.
The scale of the operation reflects not only the size of the vessel but also a broader phase of sustained traffic at Trieste’s container terminal. Another large container ship, measuring about 370 meters in length, is expected to arrive at Molo VII shortly after the MSC Diana’s departure. It will be followed by the MSC New York, a vessel of comparable dimensions, reinforcing what port officials describe as a particularly busy period for the terminal.
Trieste’s strategic position at the northern end of the Adriatic has long made it a gateway between Central Europe and overseas markets. In recent years, investments in infrastructure and rail connections have helped the port attract larger ships and more complex services, particularly those linking Asia with Europe and North America.
That role is set to expand further in early April, when MSC plans to launch a new regular service known as “Dragon.” The weekly route will connect Asia, the Mediterranean, and the eastern coast of the United States, inserting Trieste into the rotation as the first Mediterranean port of call after Singapore. Port officials say the service will provide more direct and predictable links for exporters and importers, strengthening Trieste’s position in long-haul container shipping networks.
“The arrival of the MSC Diana has a significant employment impact, and the figures associated with this call clearly demonstrate that,” said Marco Consalvo, president of the Eastern Adriatic Sea Port Authority, which oversees the port of Trieste. He noted that the traffic generated by such vessels translates into direct work on the docks, supported in part by the port labor agency.
Consalvo also pointed to a qualitative shift in the port’s container traffic. An increasing share of containers handled in Trieste are full rather than empty, he said, indicating closer ties to end markets and more value-added cargo flows. In that context, he added, the launch of the Dragon service is expected to bolster growth prospects, particularly for exports.
While ports across Europe have faced volatility in recent years due to supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and changing trade patterns, Trieste has positioned itself as a flexible and increasingly attractive alternative to larger northern ports. The arrival of ultra-large container vessels like the MSC Diana suggests that shipping lines are willing to deploy some of their biggest assets to the Adriatic, betting on efficiency gains and reliable hinterland connections.
For the city of Trieste, long defined by its maritime identity, the weekend’s arrival was both a technical milestone and a symbolic one: a reminder that, even amid shifting global currents, the port remains firmly plugged into the world’s major trade routes.
