Matson has christened the first of three Jones Act containerships at Hanwha Philly Shipyard, launching the delivery phase of a roughly $1 billion fleet renewal that will add capacity to its premium Pacific services through 2028.

The 3,600-TEU vessel, Makua, was christened Saturday, October 10, before roughly 300 guests including shipyard workers, union leaders, U.S. Maritime Administration Deputy Administrator Mark Johnson and U.S. Transportation Command Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Jered P. Helwig. Matson board member Jenai Wall performed the traditional champagne christening.

Delivery is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027, with Makua entering service in Matson's Hawaii and China-Long Beach Express (CLX) networks. The second ship follows in Q3 2027, the third in Q2 2028.

The trio replaces three existing vessels while raising capacity and efficiency across Matson's Pacific services. For shippers on the Hawaii and CLX trades, that means incremental slot growth on lanes where the Jones Act caps competition to U.S.-built, U.S.-crewed tonnage — a structural constraint that keeps Matson's premium service model intact.

"We look forward to putting Makua to work serving our customers early next year," said Matson Chairman and CEO Matt Cox.

What the new ships bring

At approximately 850 feet, the new Aloha Class vessels carry 3,600 TEUs and hit speeds approaching 24 knots — fast enough to hold the transit times central to Matson's premium Pacific products. Specs include:

• LNG-ready dual-fuel engines, running on conventional marine fuel or LNG
• Fuel-efficient hull designs
• Freshwater ballast systems

The design builds on the original Aloha Class pair, Daniel K. Inouye and Kaimana Hila, delivered by the Philadelphia yard in 2018 and 2019. At the time, those were the largest containerships ever built in the United States.

Cox said the ships will improve reliability and capacity while supporting hundreds of U.S. shipyard jobs and creating employment for American mariners over their operating lives.

Why the christening matters for Hanwha

The event marks another step in Hanwha's U.S. expansion since the South Korean conglomerate acquired the former Philly Shipyard in late 2024. Construction has moved fast since: steel cutting for Makua began in October 2024, hull assembly started August 2025, and in May the yard began assembling the second vessel, Malama, while cutting steel for the third, Makena.

The Philadelphia facility is broadening beyond commercial work. It has built National Security Multi-Mission Vessels for the Maritime Administration and secured orders for tankers and LNG carriers, while Hanwha pursues additional U.S. government and naval shipbuilding contracts.

"Today's christening of Makua is especially meaningful because Matson has been part of the story of this shipyard from its earliest days," said Hanwha Philly Shipyard CEO David Kim. "Our partnership spans generations of vessels and reflects a shared commitment to American shipbuilding and the U.S. maritime industry."

The relationship runs back more than two decades. Before the first two Aloha Class ships, the yard delivered four Jones Act containerships to Matson between 2003 and 2006.

The names carry their own history. Makua, Malama and Makena were originally freighters Matson acquired in the 1920s after they were built for the United States Shipping Board. Makua is Hawaiian for parent, elder, ancestor or family.

With Malama and Makena tracking for 2027 and 2028 deliveries, Matson's Hawaii and CLX capacity keeps building just as Hanwha positions Philadelphia as a test case for Korean-led revival of American commercial shipbuilding.