Maersk conducts second successful Red Sea transit as carrier tests Suez return

CONTAINER shipping carrier giant Maersk has confirmed that another of its vessels has transited the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as it continues its cautious approach to a full return.

The U.S.-flagged vessel Maersk Denver, operating on voyage 552W of the company’s MECL service, successfully transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and into the Red Sea on January 11 and 12. Crew and cargo passed through unharmed.

“The safety of our crew, vessels and cargo remains of utmost importance to us, and the necessary safety measures were applied during transit. Customers with cargo on this vessel have been informed directly,” Maersk wrote in its statement.

The passage of the 6200 teu container ship Maersk Denver marks the second Red Sea transit in Maersk’s return to the Suez. It is an additional sailing towards resuming navigation along on the East-West corridor via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.

Last month, the container ship Maersk Sebarok transited through the Canal as part of the northbound convoy after transiting through Bab el-Mandab strait. The vessel transited through Bab el-Mandab strait on its voyage from port of Salalah in Oman, bound for the United States.

Despite these milestones, Maersk underscored that a full return to regular Suez operations remains uncertain. No new sailings have been announced.

“Assuming that security thresholds continue to be met, we will continue our stepwise approach towards gradually resuming navigation along the East-West corridor via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea,” the company said, adding that no additional sailings have been announced at this time.

Attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on commercial shipping had made the Red Sea route unsafe, prompting widespread rerouting.

Maersk has repeatedly stressed that it is closely monitoring the developments in the Red Sea area and exploring opportunities for a safe and sustainable return to East-West Suez transit.

Admiral Ossama Rabiee, chairman of the Suez Canal authority, said last month that the return of major shipping lines is the culmination of the authority’s intensive marketing efforts over the past period.

Rabiee urged other shipping lines to adjust their schedules and resume their voyages from the Red Sea region and Bab el-Mandab strait through the Suez Canal.

What Does this Mean for Maersk?

“If the carrier completes two successful passages within a 3-week window, it’s highly likely they’ll increase the frequency of these trials in the immediate period ahead,” highlighted Xeneta, the ocean and air freight intelligence platform.

This could take shape in using eastbound and westbound passages on the MECL1, additional vessels on this string, one-way transits on other services, or a combination of all three.

“Barring any sudden changes in Israel-Houthi relations, we can safely expect to see at least one more Maersk vessel making a westbound passage within the next week or two,” Xeneta said in its notice.