Gemini Cooperation partners Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk are rerouting another mainline service through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, marking the fourth of their joint services to shift away from the longer Cape of Good Hope passage.

Which Service Is Changing

The service in question is the Asia-Mediterranean Loop 1, known as SE1 in Hapag-Lloyd's network and AE12 in Maersk's. The container ship Umm Qarn will handle the first sailings in both directions. Westbound, it departs Tanjung Pelepas on 27 October 2026 (Container News) or 17 October (The Loadstar), making its last Asia stop before entering the Red Sea. The eastbound sailing is scheduled to depart Algeciras on 5 December 2026. This follows earlier reroutings of the Asia-North Europe Loop4, Asia-Med Loop 2, and the India-Europe Loop, all of which have already shifted back to Suez routings this month.

Security and Operational Precautions

Hapag-Lloyd has been clear that this is not a blanket return to Red Sea transits. Each voyage will go through a detailed security assessment before departure, and ships will sail under naval protection while coordinating with relevant authorities and security partners. The carrier noted that its initial transits through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait went as planned and gave it useful operational experience ahead of the SE1 passages. Hapag-Lloyd described the approach as gradual and service-specific, stressing that it does not represent a full strategic return of the Gemini network to the Red Sea. Three Asia-North Europe services within the Gemini network continue to sail via the Cape of Good Hope.

Capacity and Schedule Changes

Rerouting via Suez cuts the round voyage significantly compared with the Cape route. According to Xeneta's eeSea liner database, the transit time drops from 98 days to 84 days, a reduction of two weeks. This efficiency gain also means fewer ships are needed to maintain the same weekly sailing frequency: the number of vessels required falls from 14 to 12. The freed-up vessels can be redeployed elsewhere in the Gemini network. With this change, half of Gemini's four Asia-Mediterranean services will now run via Suez.

Market and Rate Reactions

The broader trend of carriers returning to Suez is not limited to Gemini. The Ocean Alliance and MSC have also made partial returns to the canal route, and canal transit counts have been rising, moving from 41 in Week 37 to 48 in Week 38 according to Drewry. This increase in capacity returning to the Asia-Med trade has been cited as a factor behind falling spot rates on that route. In response, CMA CGM has announced a new FAK rate of $4,600 per 40ft container to the west Mediterranean and $4,900 to the east Mediterranean, effective 19 October. That is over $1,000 per 40ft higher than the current Shanghai-Genoa rate of $3,485 tracked by Drewry's World Container Index, suggesting carriers are trying to halt further rate declines even as capacity increases.

What This Means for Shippers

For shippers and forwarders booking on Asia-Med lanes, the Suez return should mean shorter transit times on affected services, potentially improving inventory planning and reducing in-transit costs. However, the shift also brings more capacity back into a trade lane already seeing softening rates, which could mean continued price volatility as carriers like CMA CGM try to push rates back up even as underlying capacity grows. Those tracking bookings should watch for schedule changes as vessels transition from Cape routings to Suez, since transit times and port rotations may shift with limited notice. Cargo owners should also keep in mind that each transit remains subject to ongoing security review, meaning schedules could still be adjusted if conditions in the Red Sea change. Booking further ahead and confirming routing details directly with carriers or forwarders is advisable during this transition period.

Sources: container-news.com, theloadstar.com