Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have decided to reroute their AE15 Gemini Cooperation service through the Suez Canal after assessing the security situation in the Red Sea.
Global shipping lines Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have jointly decided to reroute one of their Gemini Cooperation services through the Suez Canal, marking a cautious return to the Red Sea corridor after months of diversions around the Cape of Good Hope.The companies announced that the AE15 service will transition to the trans-Suez route following a detailed assessment of the security situation in the Red Sea. The first vessel to operate under the revised routing will be the Majestic Maersk.Service to bypass Cape of Good Hope The restructuring removes the Istanbul call and restores service via the Suez Canal, bypassing the Cape of Good Hope, resulting in shorter transit times between Asia and the eastern Mediterranean.Container shipping lines began avoiding the Suez Canal and the Red Sea in late 2023 after Yemen’s Houthi movement intensified attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, citing the Israel-Hamas conflict. The attacks prompted most major global container carriers, including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, to suspend Red Sea transits and reroute ships around the Cape of Good Hope from December 2023 onwards.While the diversion added 10-14 days to voyages between Asia and Europe, it significantly increased fuel consumption, vessel operating costs, and freight rates, and disrupted global shipping schedules.Shorter transit times, but cautious approachThe move by Maersk-Hapag Lloyd is expected to shorten transit times considerably compared with the longer Cape of Good Hope route that carriers adopted following attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.In a trade notice, the shipping lines said the Suez Canal remains the fastest, most sustainable and most efficient maritime corridor linking Asia and Europe, making it critical for global supply chains.However, the companies stressed that the decision reflects only a gradual return to the corridor and will remain subject to continued regional stability. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd said they would closely monitor developments in the Middle East, and any deterioration in the security environment could force individual sailings—or even the entire service—to revert to the Cape of Good Hope routing.Industry awaits broader return to Red SeaIndustry executives welcomed the announcement but remained cautious about reading too much into the move.“Though this is a welcome development, it is a bit early to comment. A similar move was attempted in the past but was quickly reversed. We need more time and more services returning to the Suez route before drawing any conclusions,” a shipping industry source said.Published on July 7, 2026
