A.P. Moller–Maersk said it had completed another container ship passage through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and into the Red Sea as part of a cautious test of conditions on the Suez corridor after an extended period of rerouting, according to the company’s statement.
The company said the U.S.-flagged Maersk Denver (voyage 552W), operating on its MECL service, successfully transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and entered the Red Sea on Jan. 11–12. Maersk said “necessary safety measures” were applied during the transit and that customers with cargo on board were informed directly.
The company said it would continue a “stepwise approach” to any broader return to the East–West route via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea and added that it had no additional sailings to announce at this time.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, located at the southern end of the Red Sea, is a key maritime chokepoint for traffic between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal. Many shipping companies have been diverting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope because of security risks in the region.
Maersk’s previous test transit involved the Maersk Sebarok, which the company said passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea on Dec. 18–19, 2025, also under heightened security measures.
A.P. Moller–Maersk is a Denmark-based transport and logistics group operating through legally separate subsidiaries across multiple jurisdictions.