Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd Expand Suez Canal Return With AE15 Service

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are taking another cautious step toward restoring container shipping through the Suez Canal, announcing that their AE15 service will transition from the Cape of Good Hope back to the shorter trans-Suez route. 

The change, which begins with the Majestic Maersk, marks the latest phase in the Gemini Cooperation’s gradual return to the Red Sea following what the carriers described as thorough assessments of the region’s security situation.

The AE15 service connects Asia with the Mediterranean and Europe, calling at Qingdao, Kwangyang, Ningbo, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Said, Damietta, Colombo and Singapore. By returning to the Suez Canal, the service will once again use the fastest shipping route between Asia and Europe, reducing transit times compared with voyages around southern Africa. 

“The joint decision between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd comes following thorough assessments of the security situation in the Red Sea area,” the companies said in a customer advisory. “With this decision, the Gemini Cooperation takes a step towards a gradual return to a trans-Suez network.” 

The announcement represents the first expansion of Gemini’s Suez Canal network since the carriers were forced to suspend trans-Suez operations on their ME11 and MECL services in March, after an earlier attempt to restore those routes proved short-lived amid renewed security concerns. That reversal underscored the fragile nature of the Red Sea recovery, with carriers continuing to adjust networks as regional conditions evolved.

Maersk emphasized that the safety of crews, vessels and cargo remains its highest priority and said it will continue monitoring developments closely. Should the security situation deteriorate, the company said it is prepared to reroute the service back around the Cape of Good Hope. 

Despite the latest move, the carriers said they have no current plans to return additional Gemini services to the Suez corridor or restore their broader East-West network to pre-crisis routing. 

The measured approach reflects the shipping industry’s continued caution after nearly three years of disruption in the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks on shipping. While security conditions have improved enough to support the return of another service, carriers, insurers and cargo owners continue to closely monitor the region before committing more capacity to the corridor.

For Egypt, each additional service returning to the canal is another step toward rebuilding traffic and toll revenue following the prolonged downturn. For global supply chains, however, the latest announcement signals that any broader return to normal operations will remain gradual and dependent on continued stability in one of the world’s most strategically important shipping lanes.

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