Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd Add Jeddah to Returning Suez Service

Credit: Hamburg Port

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are expanding their return to the Red Sea by adding Jeddah to the AE15 service under the Gemini Cooperation. The Maritime Telegraph reports that the new call will restore a direct connection with Saudi Arabia while security risks in the region remain high.

The new rotation will start with Madison Maersk on voyage 632W. The service will connect Qingdao, Kwangyang, Ningbo and Tanjung Pelepas with Jeddah, then continue through the Suez Canal to Port Said and Damietta.

The move follows the carriers’ decision in July to return AE15 from the Cape of Good Hope route to the Suez Canal. Maersk said the change was made after a review of security conditions in the Red Sea and is part of a gradual return to the Suez route.

The Suez route offers a shorter connection between Asia and Europe than sailing around Africa. However, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd continue to monitor the security situation closely. Maersk has contingency plans to return individual sailings, or the wider service, to the Cape of Good Hope if conditions worsen. Crew, vessels and cargo safety remain the priority.

Global News

Company

A. P. MOLLER MAERSK

Related Maritime News

Maersk Keeps Gulf Shipping Restrictions

Maersk continues to maintain cargo restrictions and emergency surcharges across the Persian Gulf, showing that shipping operations have not returned to normal despite recent efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. GCaptain reports that the company still sees the situation in the region as highly volatile and warns that conditions can change quickly.

Maersk Orders Eight 18,600-TEU Container Ships to Strengthen Fleet Renewal Strategy

Maersk has placed an order for eight large container vessels with a capacity of around 18,600 TEU each, reinforcing its ongoing fleet renewal strategy and focus on deployment flexibility, The Maritime Telegraph reports.

A.P. Moller-Maersk Gradually Returns to Suez Canal as Red Sea Security Improves

Container shipping major Maersk has initiated a controlled return to the Red Sea and Suez Canal, becoming one of the first global carriers to reintroduce regular services on the route following nearly two years of disruption linked to regional security threats, as reported by NextShip.

Maersk tests Red Sea route with first transit in almost two years

According to The Maritime Telegraph, Maersk has completed its first Red Sea transit in nearly two years, cautiously testing conditions along the Suez Canal corridor after a prolonged absence.

In the early hours of December 19, the Singapore-flagged Maersk Sebarok, a 2007-built containership with a capacity of 6,500 teu, sailed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and entered the Red Sea. The vessel is operating on Maersk’s MECL service.

Maersk Reflags Two Vessels Under Indian Registry

Global container shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk has reflagged two vessels under the Indian registry, becoming the second major carrier after CMA CGM to do so, Maritime Executive reports. The move signals Maersk’s deepening commitment to India, where it plans to invest up to $5 billion in logistics and infrastructure.

DP World Unit Buys Transworld’s Largest Ship

Transworld Shipping Lines has agreed to sell its largest containership, SSL Brahmaputra, to DP World-controlled Avana Logistek for $11.4m, according to Splash 247.

The 4,250-TEU vessel was built in 2003 and joined the Shreyas fleet in 2017 after being acquired as Queens Quay. Renamed SSL Brahmaputra, it became the company’s largest containership at the time.