Following increased stability in the Red Sea, Maersk will conduct its first structural return to the trans-Suez route for the MECL service, allowing for faster transit times while keeping safety as the primary concern. As of January 11th, 26 cargo ships passed each week. Capacity and transit times will be directly impacted by this operation, which will take place from January 10 to January 15.
Following the successful trans-Suez transits of the Maersk Sebarok and the Maersk Denver in recent weeks, Moller A.P. Maersk (Maersk) has announced the restart of the Middle East India U.S. East Coast (MECL) route across the Suez Canal. The MECL service, which links the USEC with the Middle East and India, is exclusively run by Maersk. An essential marine route connecting the East and West, the Suez Canal is a major force behind effective worldwide supply chains.
This enables Maersk to give customers the fastest transit times and revert to the service pattern that was initially intended. After more than two years of disruption, traffic via the Suez Canal is starting to steadily return, which coincides with Maersk’s action. According to Drewry statistics, 26 container ships passed through the canal in the week ending January 11th, the most in more than a month. But compared to about 80 excursions every week before the crisis, this figure is still far lower.
The quickest, most sustainable, and most effective means to provide clients with transportation between Asia and Europe is via the Suez, Red Sea, and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Maersk has retained the intention to resume trans-Suez routing when circumstances permit after the inaugural sailing was diverted from the Red Sea route to the Cape of Good Hope route. As a result, the crew, property, and cargo of customers continue to be the top priorities.
Although backup preparations are still in place, the business determined that security in the Red Sea has sufficiently improved to stop the bypass around the Cape of Good Hope. Maersk will keep a careful eye on the security situation in the Middle East, and any changes to the MECL service will be contingent upon the Red Sea region’s continued stability and the absence of any escalation of regional hostilities. If the security situation worsens, Maersk has backup measures in place in case the MECL service needs to be structurally changed back to the Cape of Good Hope route, or individual MECL sailings need to be reversed.
The Cornelia Maersk’s westbound trans-Suez route journey 603W, which departs Jebel Ali on January 15, 2026, will be the first sailing in the structural change of the MECL service. The first eastbound journey to use the Trans-Suez route will be the Maersk Detroit voyage 602E, which will depart North Charleston on January 10, 2026. All future sailings will use this route.
An important turning point in Maersk’s eventual return to trans-Suez sailings is the structural modification of the MECL service. The preparation of the return has been greatly aided by the strategic alliance between Maersk and the Suez Canal Authority. In order to ensure that the structural change of the MECL service and any subsequent steps in a gradual trans-Suez return take place in a way that guarantees the safety of the operations and protects predictability and stability for customers, cooperation with the Suez Canal Authority and other strategic partners in the region remains crucial.
Since the truce in Gaza went into force in October 2025, security circumstances have improved, and no fresh assaults have been recorded. Some carriers took action earlier. In late December, CMA CGM dispatched the largest ship to cross the canal in two years, the 23,000 TEU CMA CGM Jacques Saade, which transited Suez. The number of journeys around the Cape of Good Hope increased to 203 in the same week of January 11th, more than twice as many as the previous week, although a large portion of the market remained cautious.
Shipping companies are starting to explore the potential of normalizing shipping flows across the Red Sea, as evidenced by the decision to return a large-scale container service to the Suez Canal. This step might become a significant benchmark for the market if risk considerations, insurance prices, and port congestion continue to be constantly watched, even though it is currently cautious and conditional.
