Danish shipping major Maersk has confirmed that another of its vessels has successfully transited the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, reinforcing cautious optimism about a gradual return to the vital East–West shipping corridor via the Suez Canal.
In a statement issued on Monday, Maersk said the US-flagged Maersk Denver, voyage 552W, operating on the MECL service, completed its passage through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and into the Red Sea between 11–12 January 2026.
“Assuming that security thresholds continue to be met, we will continue our stepwise approach towards gradually resuming navigation along the East–West corridor via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. There are no additional sailings to announce at this time,” the company said.
The latest transit follows Maersk’s first successful passage through the Red Sea in nearly two years on 19 December 2025, after hostilities linked to the Gaza conflict had forced global shipping lines to divert vessels around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope from December 2023. Attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial shipping had made the Red Sea route unsafe, prompting widespread rerouting.
Maersk has repeatedly stressed that these sailings do not mark a full reopening of the route. “Whilst this is a significant step forward, it does not mean that we are at a point where we are considering a wider East–West network change back to the trans-Suez corridor,” the company said.
Industry analysts say a broader resumption of Red Sea traffic could have major implications for the shipping market. Niels Rasmussen, chief shipping analyst at ship-owners’ association BIMCO, noted that a return to regular transits could reduce global ship demand by around 10%, easing capacity tightness that has driven up freight rates. The Cape of Good Hope diversion adds weeks to Asia–Europe voyages, pushing up costs and rates across the sector.
Other carriers are also taking cautious steps. French container shipping line CMA CGM, which has made limited Suez transits when security conditions permit, is set to use the passage for its India–US INDAMEX service from January, according to schedules published on its website.
The Suez Canal remains the fastest maritime route between Asia and Europe, and any sustained return of major carriers like Maersk could have far-reaching effects on transit times, capacity deployment, and freight rates across global trade lanes.
