Maersk returns another Asia-Europe service through Suez, but wider return remains distant
Maersk Returns Another Asia Europe Service Through Suez
Poinews.com – Maersk returns another Asia Europe service as the global shipping giant joins Hapag-Lloyd in moving container traffic through the Suez Canal. The AE19 service, operated under the Gemini Cooperation partnership, connects Asia with the Mediterranean, Saudi Arabia, and European destinations. Previously diverted around the Cape of Good Hope due to Red Sea security concerns, this route change marks continued progress in restoring normal shipping patterns.
The carriers announced the immediate implementation of the routing change, starting with the westbound voyage of the Berlin Maersk. Hapag-Lloyd estimates the AE19 switch will save approximately four weeks compared to the Cape route. Maersk confirmed the decision followed thorough security assessments in the Red Sea region.
Gradual Return Rather Than Complete Shift
Hapag-Lloyd characterized the move as a targeted adjustment for one selected service rather than a comprehensive network-wide return. The company indicated that future routing decisions will depend on security conditions, operational viability, and customer impact. According to Hapag-Lloyd, AE19 represents one of four services relocated from the Cape of Good Hope to Suez since early July.
The remaining services are AE15, MECL, and WAF6. Maersk noted that nine additional services capable of benefiting from the Red Sea and Suez route continue sailing around the Cape, though the company declined to comment on potential future modifications. Industry analysts caution that the return of several services should not be interpreted as a broader return to the canal.
Simon Heaney, senior container research manager at maritime consultancy Drewry, emphasized that Suez traffic recovery remains closely linked to developments in the Strait of Hormuz crisis and the wider Middle East conflict. "While the latter remains unresolved, we do not expect to see a meaningful return of Asia-to-Europe loops via Suez," he explained. Even with improved security conditions, shipping companies are unlikely to relocate all services through Suez simultaneously.
Heaney predicted the return would occur in stages, beginning with European journeys typically carrying lower-value cargo. Carriers require confidence that hostilities will not resume before committing more valuable shipments to the route. Commercial considerations also influence the pace of change.
Africa routing requires additional vessels because each journey takes longer to complete. If numerous services switch back to Suez simultaneously, those ships would become available just as carriers receive large volumes of new vessels. "Carriers have to manage capacity wisely due to the large number of new ships being delivered," Heaney noted.
"Shortening rotations en masse will see rates slide dramatically." For European importers, this means Suez benefits are unlikely to materialize all at once. While a few restored services may provide shorter journeys on specific routes, normal transit times across the broader network will not return immediately. The Suez Canal offers the shortest maritime connection between Asia and Europe, bypassing the considerably longer Cape of Good Hope journey.
The diversions have increased both time and fuel expenses for voyages while reducing Egypt's important foreign currency earnings. The Suez Canal Authority has consistently encouraged shipping companies to resume normal operations. In June, Chairman Admiral Osama Rabiee stated that shorter transit times and operating savings were attracting some of the world's largest container vessels back to the canal.
These comments coincided with the CMA CGM Vendôme, capable of carrying 24,000 twenty-foot containers, passing through Suez on a service between Asia and north-western Europe. The voyage marked the first southbound Suez transit by the FAL 3 service since January. According to the authority, CMA CGM vessels completed 104 journeys through the canal between January and May, totaling 12.5 million tonnes.
FAQ: Maersk Returns Another Asia Europe Service
Q: What is the AE19 service? A: The AE19 is a container service operated jointly by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd under their Gemini Cooperation, connecting Asia with the Mediterranean, Saudi Arabia, and Europe through the Suez Canal.
Q: How much time does the Suez route save compared to the Cape of Good Hope? A: Hapag-Lloyd estimates the AE19 switch through Suez will save approximately four weeks compared to sailing around the Cape of Good Hope.
Q: Is this a complete return to the Suez Canal? A: No. Hapag-Lloyd described it as a targeted adjustment for one selected service. Maersk confirmed that nine other services continue sailing around the Cape, indicating a gradual rather than complete return.
Q: When might more services return to Suez? A: According to Drewry's Simon Heaney, the return will happen in stages, beginning with lower-value cargo journeys. Carriers need confidence that Middle East hostilities will not resume before committing more valuable shipments.
Q: What impact could a mass return to Suez have on shipping rates? A: Heaney warned that "shortening rotations en masse will see rates slide dramatically" as freed-up ships would coincide with deliveries of new vessels, potentially creating excess capacity.