Gemini” Alliance Returns Its Mega Vessels to the Red Sea and Resumes Transit Through the Suez Canal
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd resume the ME-11 service under a sailing schedule extending into early March
NYN | Reports and Analyses
The global maritime shipping alliance “Gemini Cooperation,” led by international shipping companies Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, announced the resumption of its large vessels’ transit through the Red Sea and a return to passage via the Suez Canal, following a period of suspension and diversion to alternative routes.
A statement issued by Maersk explained that the alliance has decided to restart the ME-11 service along its normal route through the Red Sea, given its status as one of the world’s most important maritime corridors for cargo transport between Asia and Europe.
Ten mega vessels have already begun moving
According to the published sailing schedule, ten mega container vessels began departing from European ports during the period from 6 February through 5 March, as part of a gradual resumption of the service.
Transit time reduced to less than half
The return to this maritime route is expected to reduce voyage times to less than half compared to the longer routes that require sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, providing shipping companies with a significant advantage in delivery speed and cost reduction.
Renewed passage near Bab al-Mandab and Yemen’s coastline
This step means that the alliance’s vessels will once again transit through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, off the Yemeni coast, along a shipping lane considered one of the most sensitive and strategically important maritime routes in the world.
