MSC will launch a new Europe-Red Sea-Middle East Express service from 10 May 2026 calling at Gdansk, Klaipeda, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Valencia, Barcelona, Gioia Tauro, Abu Kir, King Abdullah Port, Jeddah, Aqaba. The service will operate on a single direction, using ships of 14,000 teu to 16,000 teu that will switch in and out of the rotation within the MSC network. It replaces the current West Med to Red Sea service serves the same route on a truncated basis starting from Barcelona, Valencia or G
Zhonggu will upgrade its China Red Sea Express (CRX) to a regular weekly service to call at Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Jeddah, Aqaba, Sokhna, Shanghai from May 2026, with CU Lines joining as a vessel provider. The service will turn in 56 days using 8 ships of 1,700 to 2,500 teu. The service was first launched by Zhonggu in October 2025 initially with just 3 ships on an irregular frequency and have been gradually upgraded as more ships are deployed. CU Lines will operate the 2,518 teu ZHONG GU ZH
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
Zhonggu has upgraded its China Red Sea Express (CRX) service with 6 ships of 1,700-1,900 teu being deployed on the service that calls at Ningbo, Nansha, Aden, Sokhna, Aqaba, Jeddah, Ningbo. The service was launched by Zhonggu in October 2025 initially with just 3 ships, with more ships being added gradually. The service turns in 8 weeks, with gaps being filled with slots on Sea Legend's Red Sea service.
CMA CGM has relaunched its Red Sea Med Express (REDEX) service with a new rotation calling at Port Said, Marsaxlokk, Alexandria, Aqaba, Jeddah, Port Said from 19 March 2026. The service will turn in 3 weeks and will deploy 3 ships of 2,500 teu starting with the 2,592 teu CMA CGM VILA DO CONDE at Malta on 19 March 2026.
CMA CGM has resumed transits through the Suez Canal barely 10 days after suspending passage on the Red Sea route on 28 February 2026. The Asia-Med Phoenician Express (PHOEX/BEX2) service operated by CMA CGM with ships of 13,00-16,000 teu returned to the Suez on 11 March 2026 on both the eastbound and westbound voyages after just 1 ship was redirected to the Cape of Good Hope due to security situation in the Middle East. CMA CGM also announced the resumption of cargo bookings to the Middle East
Gemini Cooperation partners Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk will launch a new Far East-Med-Red Sea SE4/AE19 service via the Cape of Good Hope calling at Xingang, Qingdao, Busan, Ningbo, Shanghai, Tanjung Pelepas, Tangier Med, Port Said, Jeddah, Tangier Med, Singapore, Xingang from 13 March 2026. The service will cater to high demand to the Red Sea due to the Iran crisis that started on 28 February 2028. The service will turn in 16 weeks and will deploy up to 16 ships of 10,000 to 13,000 teu from Maersk
Maersk will return to the Suez route on its Middle East Container Line (MECL) service on both directions from January 2026. The service calls at Mundra, Pipavav, Nhava Sheva, Salalah, New York, Charleston, Savannah, Houston, Norfolk, New York, Tangier Med, Salalah, Jebel Ali, Mundra. Based on current pro-forma schedules, the service will turn in 13 weeks using 13 ships of 6,000 to 7,200 teu, with just a 1 week reduction in total turnaround time despite the shorter Suez route compared to the pre
Greta Shipping will launch a new Red Sea 1 (RS1) service connecting Salalah, Djibouti, Salalah from 3 January 2026. The service will operate weekly initially using the 1,030 teu BHAGYA LAXMI for 3 weeks and is scheduled to be replaced by the 1,730 teu GRETA STAR from 24 January 2026.
ONE will start to take slots on the Red Sea-China Service (RCS) from 15 January 2026. The RCS is a joint service operated by GFS, ESL, RCL and TSL calling at Shanghai, Qingdao, Nansha, Shekou, Jeddah, Sokhna, Aqaba, Jeddah, Shanghai that was first launched on 14 November 2025 and branded as RCS by GFS, China Red Sea Connector (ECRC) by ESL , RCR by RCL and RCX by TSL. The service turns in 8 weeks and initially deploys 5 ships of 2,500 to 3,600 teu on a rolling schedule, and is expected to be up