Published On 7/6/2026
The Danish shipping company Maersk said on Monday that one of the flights within the Gemini network, which it operates jointly with the German company Hapag-Lloyd, will resume sailing through the Suez Canal.
The Financial Times reported that Maersk, the second largest shipping company in the world, announced that it would operate ships through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, for the first time since the outbreak of war in the Middle East, reflects confidence in the steadfastness of the ceasefire.
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The Danish company stated, according to the Financial Times, that the ship “Maersk Majestic” is currently in the Gulf of Oman and is preparing to sail through the Red Sea and from there to the Suez Canal.
Most shipping companies abandoned the trade corridor between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal after attacks by the Yemeni Houthi group in the Red Sea in 2023.
Gradual return
The attacks have forced shipping companies to take a much longer route around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, increasing the cost and duration of trips, but they are now considering returning to the corridor in the Red Sea, and from there to the Suez Canal.
Maersk said in a statement, “This joint decision with Hapag-Lloyd comes after comprehensive assessments of the security situation in the Red Sea region, and constitutes a step towards a gradual return to the Suez Canal corridor.”
A Hapag-Lloyd spokesman said that the changes to the service (AE15), which links Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe, would reduce the flight duration by four weeks.
The fastest way
The ship route through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea is the fastest route connecting Europe with Asia. Data from shipping research firm Clarksons indicates that 10% of global maritime trade passed through it until the attacks began.
Longer journeys around Africa have led to higher freight rates, increasing the cost of transporting goods.
Maersk said that it and Hapag-Lloyd do not plan to make any changes to other Gemini network services, indicating that they will continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East.
She added, “Any change in services within the Gemini network services will remain dependent on the extent of stability in the Red Sea region and the decline of conflicts in the region.”
Stocks decline
In a related context, the Financial Times reported that Maersk shares fell by approximately 7% during Monday’s trading, while Hapag-Lloyd shares fell by 4%, amid investors’ expectations that a return to the shortest route will lead to an increase in capacity, which will lead to lower shipping rates and a decline in profits.
Last week, Maersk raised its profit forecasts, driven by higher freight rates as a result of unrest in the Middle East and strong demand in the Far East.
“We see this as the first step that will pave the way for a full return to the Red Sea by the end of this year,” J-Ski Bank analyst Haider Anjum said in a note to clients, according to Reuters.
He added: “A full return, and the resulting more efficient management of capacity, along with the potential delivery of new ships in 2027 and 2028, would put pressure on shipping rates, and thus on the profits of its companies.”
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd decided in mid-February to resume the joint maritime transport service (ME11), which connects India and the Middle East to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, with ships sailing under naval guard, but it stopped at the end of the same month.
A separate statement sent by Maersk via email on Monday said that crossings in the Red Sea were halted in late February following the outbreak of the Iran war.
