The two liner giants Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will change the routing of one of their shared services under the Gemini Cooperation to transit through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, marking a limited return to the route.
All passages will be secured by naval assistance, Hapag-Lloyd said in a statement.
The service in scope is the IMX service, which connects India and the Middle East with the Mediterranean.
From mid-February, the changes will be implemented on westbound sailings starting with the vessel Albert Maersk and on eastbound sailings starting with Astrid Maersk.
The two carriers said they may also implement changes to the SE1 and SE3 services to go through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal at a later stage, subject to conditions.
Further information to customers and other relevant stakeholders will follow in due course. No additional changes to the Gemini network related to the Red Sea are planned at this stage.
For ME11, these changes will be implemented on westbound sailings as of vessel Albert Maersk, voyage 605W, en route from Jebel Ali to India and expected to call the port of Mundra, departing from Mundra on February 4, 2026. On eastbound sailings as of vessel Astrid Maersk, voyage 605E, departing Valencia, Spain on February 3, 2026.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd said the security situation in the Middle East region will be monitored “very closely,” and any alteration to the Gemini service will remain dependent on the ongoing stability in the Red Sea area and the absence of any escalation in conflicts in the region.
Both carriers emphasized that the highest possible security measures will be in place, with the safety of crews, vessels, and cargo remaining the top priority.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd launched their operational collaboration “Gemini Cooperation” on February 1, 2025. The cooperation’s network covers 29 shared mainliner and 29 shared shuttle services on East-West trade routes.
“Contingency plans are in place should the security situation deteriorate, which may necessitate reverting individual sailings or the wider structural change of the ME11 service back to the Cape of Good Hope route,” Maersk added.
