Maersk resumes Red Sea route for MECL service amid stepwise return

CONTAINER shipping carrier giant Maersk has confirmed that it will implement its first structural return to the trans-Suez route for the MECL service, following improved stability in the Red Sea.

Following the successful trans-Suez transits of the Maersk Sebarok and the Maersk Denver, A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) has decided to implement the first structural change of a service back to the trans-Suez route.

This applies to the MECL service which is solely operated by Maersk and connects the Middle East and India with the US East Coast.

The first sailing in the structural change of the MECL service will be the Cornelia Maersk on the westbound trans-Suez route voyage 603W, departing Jebel Ali on January 15. The Maersk Detroit voyage 602E, departing North Charleston on January 10, will be the first eastbound sailing to use the Trans-Suez route, with all subsequent sailings following this routing.

Maersk said it will continue to monitor the security situation in the Middle East region very closely, and any alteration to the MECL service will remain dependent on the ongoing stability in the Red Sea area and the absence of any escalation in conflicts in the region.

“The safety of crew, assets, and customers’ cargo remains the highest priority. Maersk has contingency plans in place should the security situation deteriorate, which may necessitate reverting individual MECL sailings or the wider structural change of the MECL service back to the Cape of Good Hope route,” reads the Maersk statement.

Maersk has long maintained the intent to resume the trans-Suez route when conditions allow.

The Suez Canal is a vital maritime corridor between East and West and a key driver of global supply chains.

The company added that close cooperation with the Suez Canal Authority has played a key role in the planning of the return, with ongoing coordination aimed at ensuring that the structural change of the MECL service and any next steps in a gradual trans-Suez return happens in a way that ensures the safe operations and predictable service levels for its customers.