Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are returning the Gemini cooperation's AE19 Asia–Europe service to the full Suez Canal–Red Sea route, effective immediately with the Berlin Maersk voyage 628W, FreightWaves' Stuart Chirls reported.
Context: Q1 profit collapse and the Red Sea diversion
The move comes after Maersk's first-quarter profit collapsed to $100 million from $1.2 billion on lower rates, and just days before the carrier reports Q2 earnings, FreightWaves reported. The Copenhagen-based liner said the decision was made jointly with Germany's Hapag-Lloyd, its partner in the global Gemini cooperation, following "thorough assessments of the security situation in the Red Sea area." The return marks a step toward a gradual return to the trans-Suez corridor, Maersk said.
Maersk and other major container carriers have diverted rotations away from the Red Sea and around the southern tip of Africa since late 2023, after attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels in support of Palestinians in Gaza, according to FreightWaves. While Houthi attacks have become sporadic since then, the rebels — who control 40% of Yemen — have regularly made threats after the United States attacked Iran. The Houthis recently renewed attacks on Saudi-linked shipping in their growing conflict.
AE19 routing and the broader Suez shift
The AE19 service will now transit the Suez Canal instead of routing via the Cape of Good Hope. Maersk said the new rotation will be: Xingang – Qingdao – Busan – Ningbo – Shanghai – Tanjung Pelepas – Jeddah – Suez Canal – Port Said – Port Tangier – Port Said – Suez Canal – Jeddah – Singapore – Xingang. The change takes effect immediately with Berlin Maersk's westbound voyage 628W and eastbound voyage 637E.
| Service | Operator | Routing change | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| AE19 | Maersk / Hapag-Lloyd (Gemini) | Cape of Good Hope → trans-Suez | Immediate (Berlin Maersk 628W/637E) |
| AE15 | Gemini | Already trans-Suez | Current |
| MECL | Maersk | Red Sea–Suez routing | August |
| EPIC westbound | CMA CGM | Suez resumed after prior pauses | Current |
| Europe–Red Sea–Middle East express | MSC | Red Sea calls; short of full Suez reversion | Launched May |
| RES4 | Cosco | First Bab el-Mandeb passage in more than two years | Late July |
The AE15 Asia–Mediterranean–Europe Gemini service now uses trans-Suez, and Maersk's standalone MECL Middle East–U.S. East Coast service is shifting to Red Sea–Suez routing in August, per FreightWaves. CMA CGM has resumed certain Suez routings after prior pauses, including the EPIC westbound loop linking North Europe with the Indian subcontinent. Mediterranean Shipping Co. launched a Europe–Red Sea–Middle East express rotation in May, including calls at Abu Kir, King Abdullah, Jeddah and Aqaba, but short of a broad reversion to Suez. Cosco has offered weekly Red Sea sailings since March and planned its first Bab el-Mandeb passage in more than two years on the revived RES4 service in late July.
Shipper and operator implications
For freight forwarders and shippers, the AE19 switch shortens transit times on the Asia–Europe headhaul lane — a critical artery for containerized trade — compared with the Cape of Good Hope routing used since late 2023. Maersk said the Suez route is "the fastest, most sustainable and most efficient way to serve customers with transport between Asia and Europe."
The route through the Suez and the Red Sea is the fastest, most sustainable and most efficient way to serve customers with transport between Asia and Europe. — Maersk customer advisory
Maersk's June upgrade of full-year guidance on stronger Far East demand and sustained spot-rate increases suggests carriers see rising rate momentum on the lane, according to FreightWaves. However, operators must weigh schedule savings against residual security risk: the Houthis control 40% of Yemen, have made threats after U.S. strikes on Iran, and recently renewed attacks on Saudi-linked shipping. Forwarders should reconfirm routing with carriers on a voyage-by-voyage basis while the security picture evolves.
Watch list
- Maersk Q2 earnings, due within days of the AE19 advisory, for signals on rate and volume trends.
- Houthi attack patterns in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, including renewed threats against Saudi-linked shipping.
- Maersk's MECL service shift to Red Sea–Suez routing in August.
- Whether other Gemini services and rival carriers follow AE19, AE15 and MECL back to the Suez corridor.
- Spot-rate trajectory on the Far East–Europe trade after Maersk's June guidance upgrade.
Sources:
