Maersk and Hapag to Shift One Route to Suez-Red Sea Transit
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have jointly agreed to again attempt a return to the Suez Canal and Red Sea transit for one of their shipping routes under the Gemini Cooperation. It is the second time this year that the shipping companies have attempted to revert routes to the region.
The first route to resume transits is one that sails between Asia, the Mediterranean, and Turkey. The company said the Majestic Maersk, a 19,000 TEU container vessel sailing under the flag of Denmark, would be the first to make the transit. AIS transmissions and the online schedule show the vessel departing Malaysia and tentatively reaching the Suez Canal around July 24.
Maersk said the decision was made after thorough assessments of the security situation in the Red Sea area. It highlights that the return to the route is faster, the most sustainable, and the most efficient way to serve customers. However, it said it will continue to monitor the situation, and it could necessitate reverting individual sailings or the wider structural change of service back to the Cape of Good Hope. Maersk reports it has contingency plans in place.
Being strongly encouraged by the Suez Canal Authority, Maersk made its first test return voyages in November and December 2025. It was the first time the carrier had sent vessels into the southern Red Sea area since late 2023, when several of its ships were shot at by the Houthis. By January 2026, Maersk was ready to restart some of its independent routes through the Suez Canal and Red Sea, and a month later, the Gemini Cooperation with Hapag announced the return of its first routes to the region.
The resumption, however, was short-lived. With the outbreak of hostilities at the end of February between the United States and Iran, Maersk and Hapag again suspended their routes. Through the Red Sea.
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Maersk says the current return is the start of a process to build back transits. However, it warns that at this point, it has no specific timeline.
The Suez Canal Authority pointed out that in 2023, Maersk had made 1,158 transits with a total net cargo of 127 million tons. While shipping has slowly returned to the Suez Canal, the large fleet container carriers have lagged. CMA CGM has been the primary large carrier to restore routes through the region. The Suez Canal Authority had said it believed Maersk would be the lead and that other carriers would soon follow, restoring ships through the more efficient route.