Cairo: A.P. Moller - Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have announced the resumption of one of their joint container services through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal from mid-February. This marks a cautious return to the route, with naval protection, due to ongoing regional security risks.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the Danish shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk and German carrier Hapag-Lloyd operate a global container network under their Gemini Cooperation, which covers major east-west trade routes. The IMX service, connecting India and the Middle East with the Mediterranean, will be the first to reroute under this cooperation. Westbound sailings will use the vessel Albert Maersk, while eastbound sailings will be conducted by Astrid Maersk, as stated by the companies.
The companies emphasize that all transits will be conducted with naval assistance to ensure crew safety, vessel security, and cargo protection. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have also indicated the possibility of extending similar routing changes to their SE1 and SE3 services, pending future conditions. No other changes to the Gemini network related to the Red Sea are planned at this time.
SE1 and SE3 services, which are Asia-Europe routes, have been diverted around the Cape of Good Hope due to security concerns in the Red Sea. The companies highlight that any return via the Suez Canal will depend on improving security conditions. The transition for the IMX service is expected to minimize customer disruption and maintain schedule reliability under the Gemini Cooperation.
Both carriers continue to monitor the security situation in the Middle East closely. Any further adjustments to their routes will depend on sustained stability in the Red Sea and the absence of escalating regional conflicts. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd formally launched their operational alliance, the Gemini Cooperation, on 1 February 2025, covering 29 shared mainline services and 29 shuttle services across major trade routes.
Since December, Maersk has been conducting limited trial transits through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea. These cautious steps are towards a potential return to the Suez Canal after more than two years of disruption. The latest transit occurred on January 11-12 with the US-flagged Maersk Denver, as part of a Middle East-Indian Subcontinent to US East Coast service.
The Suez Canal is vital for global trade, carrying approximately 12 percent of the world's trade and serving as a significant foreign currency source for Egypt. However, most major shipping lines have avoided the Red Sea since October 2023 due to security risks, leading to rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope and increasing operational costs.
Egypt has been particularly affected, with canal revenues dropping by over 60 percent in 2024. A recovery in revenues is contingent on the gradual and sustained return of shipping traffic through the canal.