Maersk has taken another step in its return to the Red Sea with the announcement that its MECL service will once again transit the Suez Canal.

News of the return of the India-Middle East-US East Coast service to the shorter route via Suez follows a recent announcement that Maersk’s joint AE15/SE3 service under the Gemini Cooperation will be returning to the Red Sea. Another positive indicator for the shorter route was Majestic Maersk’s recently-completed successful transit of the Red Sea, said Maersk

The Danish shipping company attempted to bring MECL back to the Red Sea earlier this year, announcing in January that the first MECL ships to take Suez were already underway. Plans for the service change had been shelved by March as conflict broke out between Iran and the US and increased the risk to shipping in the region.

The return to the faster trans-Suez route for the MECL service will cut seven days from westbound sailings and 14 days from eastbound sailings, the line said.

The first westbound sailing will be Maersk Denver, while Maersk Chicago will be first to take the new eastbound route.

As part of its Red Sea return, MECL will also call Saudi Arabi’s Jeddah on the eastbound voyage from August, giving the eastbound port rotation Charleston – Savannah – Houston – Norfolk – Newark – Tangiers – Jeddah – Salalah – Mundra – Pipavav – Nhava Sheva.

Shipping companies began rerouting their ships away from the Suez Canal and Red Sea route when Yemen’s Houthi started attacking merchant ships off Yemen’s coast in late 2023, leading to widespread disruption as trade lanes adjusted and squeezed available ship capacity.

Maersk said it will continue to monitor the security situation in the Middle East very closely and that the safety of crew, vessels, and customers’ cargo remains its highest priority. The Houthi have threatened to target ships in the Red Sea linked to Israel since the war in Iran broke out in February, and there has been a recent resurgence in pirate attacks in the south of the Red Sea, although the higher speeds and freeboard of containerships tends to make them more difficult targets for pirates on skiffs.

Sailing via the Cape of Good Hope soaks up around 2m teu of capacity in the container shipping market. A return to Suez will put downward pressure on freight rates as that capacity is unlocked, adding to the impact of ongoing newbuild deliveries.

Container lines tested a return to Suez in late 2025 and early 2026, which led to CMA CGM announcing a return to Red Sea routing for certain services in January this year before rolling back the decision within days, while Maersk’s messaging on Suez transits led to a “bizarre” week for shippers in February.