Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd Accelerate Return to Suez Despite Red Sea Risks

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are significantly expanding their return to the Suez Canal, shifting four additional Gemini Cooperation services away from the Cape of Good Hope even as the security outlook around the Red Sea grows increasingly complicated.

The carriers said Sunday that their AE5, AE11, AE12 and ME2 services will transition to the trans-Suez route, joining the AE15 and AE19 services already operating through the canal.

The changes mark one of the clearest signs yet that the Gemini partners are rebuilding their network through the Red Sea and Suez Canal after years of widespread diversions around southern Africa.

AE5 connects Asia with Northern Europe, while AE11 and AE12 link Asia with the Mediterranean. ME2 connects India and Europe. All four services will now include Suez Canal transits in both directions.

The first westbound sailings are scheduled to begin later this month, starting with Antonia Maersk on AE11 from Tanjung Pelepas on September 19, followed by Marchen Maersk on AE5 on September 21 and Cornelia Maersk on ME2 on September 24. Maersk said the timing of the first AE12 sailing will be announced later.

Maersk said the return to Suez will cut transit times compared with sailing around the Cape of Good Hope.

“The route through the Suez and the Red Sea is the fastest, most sustainable and most efficient way to serve customers with transport between Asia and Europe,” the company said.

The move builds on a gradual restoration of Gemini’s Suez network this summer.

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd previously returned their AE15 Asia-Mediterranean service to the canal and later added a call at Jeddah, bringing the service directly into the Red Sea. Maersk’s independently operated MECL service connecting India, the Middle East and the U.S. East Coast has also returned to the route.

The latest expansion is notable because it comes as the regional security picture is again deteriorating.

Iran-aligned Houthi forces have expanded their position along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, adding pressure on one of the world’s most important shipping chokepoints. The developments come as Iran continues to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Houthis’ position near Bab el-Mandeb has also raised fresh concerns over Saudi oil exports that have increasingly relied on Red Sea routes as traffic through Hormuz has been disrupted.

Since late 2023, Houthi attacks have forced most major container carriers to divert ships around the Cape of Good Hope, adding thousands of miles to Asia-Europe voyages and sharply reducing traffic through the Suez Canal.

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have stressed that the latest return remains conditional.

The carriers said they will continue monitoring security conditions and warned that any changes to Gemini’s network will depend on continued stability in the Red Sea and the absence of further escalation.

“The safety of the crew, the vessels, and customers’ cargo remains the highest priority,” Maersk said.

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