Red Sea Crisis Pushes Idle Containership Fleet to Record Low as Global Demand Soars

As geopolitical turmoil in the Red Sea disrupts traditional shipping routes, the global container fleet has hit a record low in commercially idle capacity, according to data from Alphaliner.

With carriers scrambling to meet new demand driven by diversions, the average share of idle container tonnage in 2024 has plummeted to just 0.7%—a figure markedly lower than in previous years, even during the height of COVID-19 disruptions.

In the first ten months of 2024, carriers reported that 99.3% of the global cellular container fleet was commercially active, marking the lowest level of idling since tracking began.

Alphaliner attributes this to the extraordinary impact of the Red Sea crisis on the shipping industry, noting that the conflict’s disruption has had a proportionally greater effect on fleet employment than the pandemic. With routes increasingly diverted around the Cape of Good Hope, the demand for container vessels—especially large ships over 12,500 TEU—has surged.

Alphaliner’s data highlights that larger vessels have essentially been running at full capacity, with nearly zero idle time as carriers allocate these ships to keep critical routes moving.

This shift is especially significant given the recent expansion of the cellular container fleet. Since October 2020, global container capacity has ballooned by nearly 30%, growing from 23.7 million TEUs to 30.6 million TEUs. Yet, despite this fleet growth, capacity idling remains at historic lows, underscoring an industry stretched to its limits to maintain global supply chains amid unprecedented demand and navigational challenges.

Shipowners and carriers have also postponed non-essential drydocking and repairs to retain operational capacity. Alphaliner reports that the percentage of tonnage tied up in repair or maintenance yards averaged 3.5% for 2024—below both 2021 (3.7%) and 2022 (5.1%) levels. This lower “in yard” rate further illustrates how carriers are maximizing operational tonnage and delaying routine maintenance to meet critical shipping needs.

As carriers navigate the dual pressures of increased fleet demand and geopolitical volatility, industry leaders are closely watching how prolonged Red Sea disruptions will affect global shipping routes and idle capacity moving forward.

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