Cargo carrier Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines LLC wants to get into the interisland shipping business.

Pasha Hawaii filed an application with the state Public Utilities Commission last month to provide service between Honolulu; Kahului, Maui; and Hilo on the Big Island using its 579-foot ship the Jean Anne.

"Pasha Hawaii's interisland water carrier service will create competition, which will in turn foster economical and efficient interisland water transportation," the company said in its March 13 filing.

The filing was made just days before Hawaii Superferry announced that it was ceasing operations because of a state Supreme Court ruling that the law that allowed Superferry to operate during an environmental review was improper.

Young Brothers, the dominant interisland carrier, said it is evaluating Pasha's application and declined further comment.

Pasha Hawaii currently provides cargo service from the West Coast to Honolulu, Hilo and Kahului. But the company does not have regulatory approval to pick up and drop off shipments among the three local ports.

In its filing , Pasha said it plans to make interisland shipments every 14 days.

The company will not provide regular service to smaller ports on Kaua'i, Moloka'i and Lana'i but said it hopes to contract with Young Brothers to provide service to those harbors.

Formed in 1999, Pasha Hawaii's investors include Hawaii Ship Management LLC and The Pasha Group, an automobile, logistics and transportation company.

Pasha Hawaii has provided West Coast-to-Hawai'i service since 2005.

With more than 140,000 square feet of cargo space, the Jean Anne is much larger than the vessels currently employed in the interisland transportation market. The ship can carry up to 3,000 vehicles.