CMA CGM has returned to the Suez route on for its eastbound FAL3 voyages from 22 July 2026, with 3 eastbound voyages already completed with subsequent sailings also due to take the same route. However, the westbound voyages are still using the longer Cape route. The service is operated solely by CMA CGM as part of the OCEAN Alliance NEU5 service, branded by COSCO as the AEU6, OOCL as LL5 and by CMA CGM and Evergreen as the FAL3.
The 20,568 teu MANCHESTER MAERSK will make a westbound Suez Canal transit on 16 August 2026, marking the return of the Gemini Asia-North Europe AE2/NE1 service to Suez route. Maersk has also switched to the Suez route on the Asia-Med AE19/SE4 service with ships transiting on both directions since the end of July 2026. Although Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd officially confirmed the structural change to the Suez route on 10 August 2026, the changes have already been implemented on earlier sailings. The
Sea Legend will restart its China-Europe Arctic Express (CAX) service connecting Ningbo and Felixstowe from 12 August 2026. 8 westbound sailings are planned to coincide with the 2026 Northern Sea Route (NSR) season, following just a single trial voyage in 2025. Last year, Sea Legend deployed the 4,890 teu ISTANBUL BRIDGE from Ningbo on 23 September 2025 and completed its Arctic voyage to Felixtowe in 21 days. After additional calls at Hamburg, Gdansk and Rotterdam, the ship returned via the Sue
CMA CGM will be using the Suez route in both directions on the newly launched Japan-China-North Europe Ocean Rise Express (OCR) service, allowing them to save 2 weeks on a round trip rotation compared to using the longer Cape route. The OCR service was launched on 2 April 2026 and calls at Kobe, Nagoya, Yokohama, Xiamen, Yantian, Jeddah, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Southampton, Jeddah, Nansha, Kobe. The service will turn in 84 days using the shorter Suez route and will deploy 12 ships of 8,400 to 10,00
CMA CGM will launch a new Ocean Rise Express (OCR) service connecting Kobe, Nagoya, Yokohama, Xiamen, Yantian, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Southampton, Nansha, Kobe from April 2026. The service will be operated by CMA CGM alone without the participation of OCEAN Alliance partners and will turn in 98 days using 14 ships of 7,800 to 9,900 teu starting with the 8,048 teu CMA CGM BYBLOS at Kobe on 2 April 2026. This service aims to fill the gap left by the Premier Alliance's withdrawal of direct calls at J
The OCEAN Alliance NEU4 service that is operated by CMA CGM as the FAL1 will make its return to the Suez route eastbound from 6 April 2026. The move is confirmed in the OCEAN Alliance's DAY 10 product announcement that was announced by CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL and Evergreen on 21 January 2026. CMA CGM had earlier rerouted from the Cape of Good Hope to the Suez on 2 eastbound FAL1 voyages on 5 January and 17 January 2026 before announcing on 20 January 2026 that it will return to the Cape route. Ho
CMA CGM announced on 20 January that it will re-route vessels deployed on their North Europe-Asia FAL 1 and FAL 3 services as well as the Med-Asia MEX service via the Cape of Good Hope. However, even with the withdrawal of the 3 services, CMA CGM will still retain 2 services (Indamex and Phoenician Express) on the Suez route. Unlike the 3 re-routed services that only uses the Suez route on the backhaul eastbound voyages, the 2 retained services uses the Suez on both directions. It is therefore
The Premier Alliance’s Far East Pacific 1 (FP1) pendulum service connecting North Europe-Asia-US West Coast will be split from April 2026 into 2 separate loops. The Japanese port calls on the FP1 will no longer be offered in the upsized Far East-Europe 1 (FE1) service with larger ships of 13,000-15,000 TEU set to replace the current 9,000 TEU ships deployed on the FP1. Details of the 2 revised loops as follows:- * Far East-Europe 1 (FE1) calling at Laem Chabang, Cai Mep, Singapore, Rotterdam,
MSC's Albatros service has been reconfigured into a full westbound Round-The-World (RTW) service calling at Xingang, Dalian, Kwangyang, Ningbo, Yantian, Singapore, Felixstowe, London Gateway, Bremerhaven, Gdansk, Boston, New York, Freeport (ad hoc), Xingang. The extended Albatros service will add a new Transatlantic leg to the former Asia-North Europe service along with US East Coast and Bahamas connections to the Far East. The ad-hoc Transatlantic calls have been introduced since September 202
Sea Legend Line, a wholly owned subsidiary of Worldwide Logistics Holding, has announced a China-Europe sailing using the Arctic / Northern Sea Route (NSR). The 4,890 teu ISTANBUL BRIDGE will make the maiden voyage from 20 Septmber 2025 calling at Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Gdansk. The ship is currently operated by Safetrans on the China-St Petersburg route via the Suez. The same ship, then named as FLYING FISH 1, had also performed a single eastbound Arctic/NSR