Maersk resumes Red Sea route for MECL service amid stepwise return

CONTAINER shipping carrier giant Maersk is expanding its gradual return to the Suez Canal, announcing that its MECL service will now transit via the Red Sea, after recently confirming a similar move for the AE15 service.

This structural change follows the transit of the Majestic Maersk (AE15 service) through the Red Sea and is a significant milestone in Maersk’s gradual return to the trans-Suez corridor.

The MECL service is solely operated by Maersk and connects the Middle East and India with the U.S. East Coast.

For westbound sailings, transit times would improve by an average of seven days, the company said. On eastbound sailings, Maersk said transit times would improve by an average of 14 days.

The first westbound sailing via the trans-Suez route will be on the Maersk Denver (voyage 627W), while the first eastbound sailing via the trans-Suez route will be on the Maersk Chicago (voyage 624E).

In connection with the commencement of transit through the Red Sea, the MECL will also add an eastbound call in Jeddah.

This change is expected to take effect during August.

With the implementation of the Jeddah call, the eastbound service rotation will be: Charleston – Savannah – Houston – Norfolk – Newark – Tangiers – Jeddah – Salalah – Mundra – Pipavav – Nhava Sheva.

“The route through the Suez and the Red Sea is the fastest, most sustainable and most efficient way to serve customers with transport between India, Middle East and the US East Coast,” the company said in a statement.

Like its earlier AE15 announcement, Maersk stressed that the move remains contingent on security conditions.

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

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

The Canal was abandoned by most shippers after attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthis. That forced them to take the much longer trip around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, but shipping companies are now considering a return to the Red Sea route.