Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd to Resume Red Sea Transits for Asia-to-Mediterranean Service

Shipping giants A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S and Hapag-Lloyd AG have announced a return to the Red Sea and Suez Canal for select routes, moving away from the lengthy detours around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Operating under their Gemini Cooperation alliance, the carriers will initially redirect the AE15 service connecting China with the southern Mediterranean. This strategic shift follows updated security assessments and is expected to significantly impact global shipping capacity and freight rates.

A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S and Hapag-Lloyd AG are set to resume transits through the high-risk Red Sea and Suez Canal corridor, marking a significant shift in maritime logistics. The decision, driven by recent security assessments, applies to the AE15 service operated under their shared Gemini Cooperation alliance, which links China to the southern Mediterranean. The Majestic Maersk, currently stationed in Oman, is scheduled to be the first vessel to alter its course and utilize the shorter transit route instead of navigating around the southern tip of Africa.

The return to the Suez Canal is expected to have a cooling effect on the global shipping market, which has seen spot container rates skyrocket due to constrained capacity. By avoiding the weeks-long detours around the Cape of Good Hope, the carriers will free up substantial vessel capacity that had been tied up by longer transit times. Consequently, investors reacted sharply to the news, with Maersk’s shares plunging 9% in Copenhagen—its steepest single-day drop since May—and Hapag-Lloyd’s shares falling 4.6% in Frankfurt to their lowest level since April.

Shipping operations in the region have been severely disrupted since the Yemen-based Houthi Group began attacking merchant vessels to signal solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza conflict. While some shipping lines considered returning to the corridor earlier this year, those initiatives were halted following the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war in February. This latest move by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd represents a calculated return to a critical trade artery despite the ongoing geopolitical tensions that have reshaped global trade routes over the past year.