Stock image: A Maersk containership is seen near Suez Canal Bridge which is known as the "Peace Bridge" in the Suez Canal, Egypt, August 6, 2023. Suez Canal Authority/Handout via REUTERS
Danish shipping giant Maersk completed its first successful transit through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait in nearly two years, marking a cautious step toward potentially reopening one of the world’s most critical shipping corridors.
The Singapore-flagged vessel Maersk Sebarok, with a capacity of 6,500 TEUs,transited the region on December 18-19, employing what the company described as “the highest possible safety measures” during the voyage. The milestone comes after Maersk and other major carriers rerouted vessels around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope beginning in December 2023, following a series of attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen on commercial shipping.
Despite the successful test transit, Maersk emphasized that the move does not signal an imminent return to regular Red Sea operations.
“Whilst this is a significant step forward, it does not mean that we are at a point where we are considering a wider East-West network change back to the trans-Suez corridor,” the company stated.
The company indicated it would take a “stepwise approach towards gradually resuming navigation” via the Suez Canal and Red Sea, though no additional sailings are currently planned.
The test transit follows a November 25 announcement in which Maersk and the Suez Canal Authority extended their strategic partnership agreement and discussed regional geopolitical developments, including progress in the Gaza peace process and efforts to re-establish freedom of navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb.
The Suez Canal represents the fastest route linking Europe and Asia and had accounted for approximately 12 percent of global seaborne trade before the attacks began. The prolonged disruption has added weeks to transit times and driven up freight rates as vessels detoured around the Cape of Good Hope.
French shipping firm CMA CGM has conducted limited passages through the Suez Canal.
The attacks on commercial shipping began in November 2023, with Houthi rebels claiming the actions as solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Maersk’s initial decision to suspend Red Sea transits came after the December 30, 2023 missile attack on the M/V Maersk Hangzhou, followed by an attempted boarding.
The Suez Canal Authority is working to bring containerships back following improved security in the Red Sea after Houthis announced a suspension of maritime operations, though experts caution the risk remains suppressed rather than eliminated.
Since October 2023, Houthis targeted well over 100 merchant ships in the Red Sea, sinking four, seizing one, and killing eight seafarers. Vessel traffic fell 60% as routes shifted around the Cape of Good Hope.
However, high marine insurance costs remain a major obstacle preventing shipping lines from resuming Suez Canal operations.
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
Hundreds of thousands of containers are in limbo after ocean carriers suspend cargo bookings to Arabian Container Ports.
Russia’s sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 export network is showing early signs of disruption after an explosion sank one of its shadow fleet carriers in the Mediterranean this week, forcing other tankers to halt or reroute and raising new questions about the security of a key shipping corridor.
France has reached out to the governments of Italy and Greece to coordinate efforts in the Eastern Mediterranean as tensions over the war in Iran flare, a person close to French President Emmanuel Macron said.
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
