Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, partners in the Gemini Cooperation, are rolling out a wide set of changes to their Asia-Europe and Asia-Mediterranean services. The updates include a new China-to-west Mediterranean service and revised rotations on several existing loops. The moves are tied to the carriers' ongoing, gradual return to routing ships through the Suez Canal rather than around southern Africa.

A New Service Links China and the West Mediterranean

The centerpiece of the overhaul is a new transhipment-focused service, called AE18 by Maersk and SE5 by Hapag-Lloyd, connecting Shanghai, Xiamen, Tanjung Pelepas, Algeciras and Tangier via the Suez Canal. The first sailing is set for 22 November 2026, with the vessel Maersk Edirne departing Shanghai. According to Maersk, the new service is meant to work alongside the existing AE19 loop to strengthen the carriers' west Mediterranean hub network, which in turn supports connections toward West Africa and the east coast of Latin America.

Several Existing Loops Are Being Redrawn

Beyond the new service, Gemini is adjusting rotations on multiple established loops. The Asia-North Europe service known as AE2 (or NE1 under Hapag-Lloyd) will drop its westbound Tangier call in favor of Rotterdam, giving Ningbo and Shanghai cargo a more direct path to that port starting with a sailing in mid-November. The Asia-Mediterranean service AE11/SE2 will also remove its westbound Tangier call, replacing it with Port Said, while adding a new pre-Suez stop at Salalah. Separately, AE19 will swap out Shanghai for Nansha and add a call at Damietta, a port near Port Said where Gemini appears to be building out a second hub alongside its existing one.

Middle East and Sri Lanka Connections Are Expanding

The ME2 service will add a direct call at Jeddah on its eastbound leg, giving North Europe ports including Rotterdam, London Gateway and Hamburg a direct link to Saudi Arabia. The first affected vessel is expected to arrive in Jeddah in late December 2026. Separately, Gemini is shifting its Colombo call from the AE15 service to AE12, which will create a new link between the Adriatic ports of Koper and Rijeka and Sri Lanka, with onward connections to South India and Bangladesh. That change is expected to take effect with an arrival in Colombo in January 2027.

Why This Is Happening Now

The changes coincide with carriers' broader move back toward routing ships through the Suez Canal rather than diverting around the Cape of Good Hope. Hapag-Lloyd chief executive Rolf Habben Jansen said the shift back to Suez is being handled deliberately and in stages, in part to avoid overloading hub ports in Europe and the Mediterranean, and said he expects most Gemini services to be back on the Suez routing sometime in the first quarter of next year. Liner analyst Lars Jensen described the pace of the transition as slower and more controlled than he had expected, estimating that roughly a third of market capacity has shifted back to the Suez routing so far.

What This Means for Shippers

For shippers and forwarders booking on Gemini services, the network changes bring both new direct options and some rerouting to track. Cargo moving to Tangier on AE2 or AE11 will now route through Rotterdam or Port Said instead, which could affect transit times and onward connections for shipments previously tied to Tangier. Businesses shipping to Saudi Arabia from North Europe gain a new direct Jeddah option via ME2, potentially cutting out transshipment steps. Those moving cargo through Colombo should note the shift from AE15 to AE12 and check how it affects connections to South India and Bangladesh. Because the changes are being phased in through November and into early 2027, shippers should confirm specific vessel, voyage and port-call details with their carrier or forwarder before booking, and keep an eye on further announcements as the Suez transition continues into next year.

Sources: container-news.com, theloadstar.com