Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are significantly expanding their return to the Suez Canal, transferring four new services from Gemini Cooperation to this canal. These changes are one of the clearest signs of the reconstruction of the Gemini network through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal after years of extensive diversion around South Africa.
Details of New Services
The AE5 service connects Asia to Northern Europe, while AE11 and AE12 connect Asia to the Mediterranean Sea, and ME2 provides a link between India and Europe. All four services will now include passage through the Suez Canal in both directions. The first westbound voyages for these services are set to begin later this month, starting with the Maersk Antonia on AE11 from Tanjung Pelepas on September 19, followed by the Maersk Machen on AE5 on September 21 and the Maersk Cornelia on ME2 on September 24.
Read more: Sanctions on Iranian Tankers; Oil Shipments on Uncertain Routes
Security Conditions and Impact on Trade
Maersk's return to the Suez Canal is significant because this route reduces transit time compared to circumventing around the Cape of Good Hope. Maersk has stated: "The route through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea is the fastest, most sustainable, and most efficient way to serve customers in terms of transportation between Asia and Europe." This move is based on the gradual reconstruction of the Suez Gemini network this summer.
Previously, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd had returned their AE15 service, which connects Asia and the Mediterranean, to the Suez Canal and then added the port of Jeddah to allow this service to directly enter the Red Sea. Maersk's independent service, MECL, which connects India, the Middle East, and the East Coast of the United States, has also returned to this route.
This recent expansion occurs as the security situation in the region is once again deteriorating. Iranian-backed Houthi forces have expanded their position along the Red Sea coast of Yemen and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, increasing pressure on one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints. These developments come as Iran continues to restrict shipping in the Strait of Hormuz on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula.
The Houthi position near Bab el-Mandeb has also raised new concerns about Saudi oil exports, which have increasingly become dependent on Red Sea routes, while traffic through Hormuz has been disrupted. Since late 2023, Houthi attacks have caused most major container shipping companies to divert their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding thousands of miles to Asia-Europe journeys and significantly reducing traffic in the Suez Canal.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have emphasized that their recent return remains conditional on security conditions. The companies stated they will continue to monitor security conditions and warned that any changes to the Gemini network depend on ongoing stability in the Red Sea and the absence of further escalations. "The safety of crew, vessels, and customer cargo is our highest priority," Maersk added.
Read more: Decline in Iranian Oil Exports Due to Sanctions and Tanker Route Changes · Iranian Weapons and Advice, the Labyrinth of Capturing a Key City in Yemen by the Houthis
