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
Maersk will resume the trans-Suez routing on the Salalah-West Africa WAF6 service from July 2026, replacing the current route via the Cape of Good Hope. The WAF6 service calls at Salalah, Tangier Med, Algeciras, Tema, Lagos, Salalah and turns in 70 days using the Cape route in both directions with 10 ships of 4,400 to 5,000 teu deployed. The revised trans-Suez westbound route will cut the rotation down to 56 days, reducing total vessel deployment by 2 ships. Maersk has already started making Su
Maersk will resume Suez transits on the Middle East Container Line (MECL) service in both directions with immediate effect from July 2026. The service will add an eastbound call at Jeddah with the revised rotation to call at New York, Charleston, Savannah, Houston, Norfolk, New York, Tangier Med, Jeddah, Salalah, Mundra, Pipavav, Nhava Sheva, Salalah, New York. The first westbound transit is scheduled with the 6,478 teu MAERSK DENVER on 21 July 2026 while the first eastbound transit is schedule
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will return to the Suez route on their jointly operated Gemini AE15/SE3 service on a truncated rotation that will call at Qingdao, Kwangyang, Ningbo, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Said Damietta, Colombo, Singapore, Qingdao with calls at Canakkale, Yarimca and Ambarli to be omitted. The revised rotation takes immediate effect with the sailing of the 19,076 teu MAJESTIC MAERSK that has already departed from Qingdao on 8 June 2026 now on its way to the Suez with an unscheduled stop
The 7,154 teu SANTA CATARINA MAERSK and 8,648 teu CLEMENTINE MAERSK have made the first passages through the Bab el-Mandeb by Maersk vessels since 1 March 2026. SANTA CATARINA MAERSK was on a positioning trip from China to the Med and made its Suez passage on 4 June 2026 while CLEMENTINE MAERSK made the westbound Suez Canal passage on 13 June 2026 on its way from Salalah to New York on Maersk's Middle East-India to East Coast US (MECL) service, marking the first trans-Suez voyages by Maersk sinc
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
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 is bringing back westbound Suez transits on the Europe Pakistan India Consortium (EPIC) service starting from this week with the 11,388 teu CMA CGM GEMINI that will arrive at Suez on 29 April 2026. All subsequent westbound sailings on the EPIC service are scheduled to use the Suez route, although the eastbound sailings are still taking the Cape route. The revised EPIC service connects Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Colombo, Jeddah, Port Said, Tanger Med, Southampton, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp,
CMA CGM has returned to the Suez route on a second Asia-Med service, with the Mediterranean Club Express (MEX) service scheduled to use the shorter route on both directions. 2 ships on eastbound voyages have already switched from the Cape route to the Suez route since the end of March 2026 starting with the 16,022 CMA CGM JULES VERNE on 29 March followed by the 15,536 CMA CGM APOLLON on 3 April. The first westbound voyage is scheduled on 21 April 2026 with the 16,022 teu CMA CGM MARCO POLO. The