US-Flagged Maersk Denver Transits Red Sea as Carrier Tests Suez Comeback

Maersk has completed its second Red Sea transit in nearly two years, signaling a cautious — but still tentative — return to one of the world’s most important shipping corridors after a two-year hiatus.

The U.S.-flagged vessel Maersk Denver, operating on voyage 552W of the company’s MECL service, successfully navigated the strait on January 11-12, 2026. The transit follows the December 18-19 passage of the Singapore-flagged Maersk Sebarok, which marked the first Maersk containership to return to the route in nearly two years.

“The safety of our crew, vessels and cargo remains of utmost importance to us, and the necessary safety measures were applied during transit,” Maersk stated in an announcement. Customers with cargo aboard the Denver were informed directly.

Despite these milestones, Maersk underscored that a full return to regular Suez operations remains uncertain. “Assuming that security thresholds continue to be met, we will continue our stepwise approach towards gradually resuming navigation along the East-West corridor via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea,” the company said, adding that no additional sailings have been announced at this time.

The transits represent a carefully measured response to improved security conditions in the region. The Red Sea shipping crisis began in late 2023 when Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched attacks on commercial vessels in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza War, forcing most major carriers to reroute around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Since October 2023, Houthis have targeted more than 100 merchant ships, sinking four, seizing one, and killing eight seafarers.

The prolonged disruption added weeks to transit times and drove up freight rates. Vessel traffic through the Red Sea plunged by approximately 60%—where it currently remains despite growing optimism. Before the crisis, the Suez Canal handled roughly 12% of global seaborne trade and was the fastest route linking Europe and Asia.

Conditions began improving after a Gaza ceasefire took effect in October 2025, with no new attacks reported since. The Suez Canal Authority has been working aggressively to restore confidence in the route, with Admiral Ossama Rabiee predicting that canal traffic will return to normal levels by the second half of 2026.

French carrier CMA CGM has moved more aggressively than Maersk, with plans to resume using the canal for its India-U.S. INDAMEX service starting this month. In late December, the CMA CGM Jacques Saade, one of the world’s largest container ships at 400 meters long with a capacity of 23,000 containers, became the biggest containership to use the Suez route in two years.

However, significant obstacles remain. High marine insurance costs continue to deter many shipowners, and security analysts warn that while the threat has eased, it has not been eliminated. The stakes are particularly high for Egypt, which relies heavily on Suez Canal tolls as a crucial source of foreign currency.

The Maersk Denver operates on the MECL service, a long-haul container route connecting the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and U.S. East Coast. The service links major hubs including Jebel Ali in the UAE, Indian ports such as Mundra and Nhava Sheva, Salalah in Oman, and multiple U.S. East Coast ports including Newark, Charleston, Savannah, Houston, and Norfolk.

For Maersk, each transit is a live test of whether the Red Sea is finally becoming safe enough again — or whether the world’s most important shortcut between East and West remains a gamble too far.

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