Maersk resumes Suez Canal route for AE15 service

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have decided to change the route of their AE15 shipping service under the Gemini Cooperation network. Instead of sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, ships on this service will now pass through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

The change will begin with the vessel Majestic Maersk. The companies said they reviewed the security situation in the Red Sea and believe it is safe enough for the AE15 service to use the shorter route again.

The AE15 service is a regular container shipping route that connects ports in Asia with the Mediterranean. Earlier, ships on this service sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa because of security concerns in the Red Sea. They will now use the shorter route through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. The service calls at Qingdao, Kwangyang, Ningbo, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Said, Damietta, Colombo and Singapore.

Most shipping companies stopped using the Red Sea route more than two years ago because of attacks on commercial ships in the area. Instead, they sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, which made journeys longer and increased fuel and operating costs.

By using the Suez Canal again, the AE15 service will have shorter sailing times and faster cargo movement between Asia and the Mediterranean.

Maersk said this change is only for the AE15 service. The rest of its Asia-Europe services will continue to follow their current routes. The company also said it will keep watching the security situation and can change the route again if needed.

Earlier this year, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd also moved their ME11 service back to the Suez Canal after carrying out a similar security review.