Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd Expand Suez Routing: New Changes to Container Services

From Two Transits to a Network Shift

The return of container lines to the Suez Canal is no longer a matter of individual ships. On 19 October Maersk announced a new set of changes across the Gemini Cooperation network it operates with Hapag-Lloyd, including a new Asia–West Mediterranean service, AE18. According to Container News, the changes follow the structural rerouting of Gemini’s Asia–Mediterranean services through the Suez Canal.

The first visible step came on 22 August, when two of Maersk’s largest ships, Mathilde Maersk and Bangkok Maersk, transited the canal together. The Suez Canal Authority highlighted the transits and marked Bangkok Maersk’s first passage with a plaque ceremony, The Maritime Executive reported.

September: Four Services Leave the Cape Route

On 14 September Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd announced that four joint Gemini services — AE5, AE11, AE12 and ME2 — would move from the route around the Cape of Good Hope, at the southern tip of Africa, to the Suez Canal. The carriers said further changes within the Gemini network would depend on there being no escalation in regional conflicts, and that they would keep monitoring developments in the Middle East.

October: New AE18 and Revised Rotations

The 19 October update, as reported by Container News, includes:

• New AE18: consolidates the Tangier and Algeciras coverage previously provided by AE2, AE11 and AE12, and adds a direct Xiamen call. Maersk Edirne is scheduled to open the service from Shanghai on 22 November 2026.
• AE2: the westbound Tangier call is replaced by Rotterdam, from Moscow Maersk’s sailing from Ningbo on 15 November.
• AE11: adds a westbound Salalah call and replaces Tangier with Port Said, from Estelle Maersk’s sailing from Shanghai on 17 November.
• AE19: Nansha replaces Shanghai and Damietta is added, from Ane Maersk’s sailing from Xingang on 18 November.
• ME2: adds Jeddah on the eastbound leg, creating a direct North Europe–Saudi Arabia link; Maersk Tukang is scheduled at Jeddah on 20 December.
• AE12: Colombo moves from AE15 to AE12, linking the Adriatic ports of Koper and Rijeka with Sri Lanka; Alva Maersk is expected at Colombo on 12 January 2027.

Why It Matters

For shippers and forwarders, the practical change is in port sequence as well as routing: Tangier and Algeciras coverage is being concentrated on AE18, Egyptian ports gain calls on AE11 and AE19, and Jeddah gains a North Europe link on ME2. The dates above are first sailings announced by the carrier. Because the carriers have tied further changes to the regional security situation, the schedules should be checked against the latest carrier advisories before cargo is planned.

Reviewed by Apeks Marine Editorial Team.