Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd expand Suez Canal returns with four more shipping routes

Danish shipping giant Maersk and Germany's Hapag-Lloyd are routing four more of their joint container services back through the Suez Canal, accelerating their return to the shortest maritime link between Asia and Europe.

The decision, announced on Monday, represents a major step towards normalising traffic through one of the world's most vital trade arteries. For shipping lines, the canal is a shortcut that saves substantial travel time compared to the lengthy detour around Africa.

The cost of the detour

The detour became necessary earlier this decade when Yemen’s Houthi rebels began targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea with drones and missiles. The attacks forced the majority of international shipping lines to abandon the Suez Canal entirely to protect their crews and cargo.

Instead of passing through the Bab al-Mandab strait, companies sent their vessels on a long detour around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.

While safer, the African route added thousands of miles to every voyage, delayed shipments, and drove up fuel costs and carbon emissions for carriers worldwide. This detour also forced lines to deploy more vessels just to maintain their weekly schedules.

A phased return

The return of Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd to the Suez Canal is being managed in stages rather than all at once. The two companies have been testing the safety of the route, phasing in their first services earlier this summer.

They previously announced in early July, and again in August, that they would resume select services connecting Asia, the Mediterranean, and Northern Europe through the canal.

This latest decision to add four more services shows growing operational confidence, or at least a calculated decision that the time and fuel saved outweighs the ongoing security risks in the region.

Because the two shipping lines operate these container services jointly, coordinating their routing decisions is essential. When one carrier decides to return to a route, the other must follow to keep their shared schedules and cargo-sharing agreements aligned.

What happens next?

The move will be watched closely by other major shipping lines that have so far remained hesitant to send their fleets back through the Red Sea. While Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are expanding their transits, a wider recovery of Suez Canal traffic will depend on whether these journeys can proceed without disruption.

For cargo owners, the shift promises faster delivery times and more reliable schedules as the shipping industry begins to unwind some of the most disruptive operational workarounds in recent maritime history.