Maersk to resume Suez Route

Changes to the Gemini AE19 service

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have announced that they will be conducting a structural change on one of the Gemini Services, the AE19 service. The route will now return to its Trans-Suez route instead of the longer Cape of Good Hope route. 

This change is set to be immediate, with the westbound route voyage 628W of Berlin Maersk, and its eastern bound route 637E. The decision comes after joint assessments of the security situation in the Red Sea. This route connects Asia, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The route is set to take the following route:

Xingang – Qingdao – Busan – Ningbo – Shanghai – Tanjung Pelepas – Jeddah – Suez Canal – Port Said –
Port Tangier – Port Said– Suez Canal – Jeddah – Singapore – Xingang

This route serves as the most efficient route for shipping between Asia and Europe. It cuts several days off of the journey and is more sustainable long term. This will allow a faster arrival of goods entering Europe.

This return comes following mass avoidance of this route due to the ongoing crises across the Middle East. As the situation begins to stabilise, shipping companies have become more open to returning to this journey.

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd’s re-entry brings hope of a gradual return to the Trans-Suez route.