On July 6, 2026, The Maritime Executive reported that Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have reached a joint agreement to try once more to resume using the Suez Canal and Red Sea for one of their service routes within the Gemini Cooperation. This represents the second occasion in 2026 that these two carriers have attempted to bring their itineraries back to that area.
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The initial service to be restored connects Asia, the Mediterranean region, and Turkey. According to the companies, the Majestic Maersk, a 19,000 TEU container vessel registered under the Danish flag, will be the first ship to complete this passage. Based on AIS data and the published schedule, the vessel left Malaysia and is expected to arrive at the Suez Canal around July 24.
Maersk explained that this choice was made after a comprehensive evaluation of safety conditions in the Red Sea zone. It noted that reverting to this path offers faster transit times, greater sustainability, and the highest operational efficiency for client needs. Nonetheless, the firm cautioned that it will keep assessing the situation and might have to adjust individual sailings or implement a broader shift back to the Cape of Good Hope route. Maersk confirmed that contingency measures are already prepared.
With strong encouragement from the Suez Canal Authority, Maersk carried out its initial trial return voyages in November and December 2025. Those were the first instances since late 2023 that the carrier had dispatched ships into the southern Red Sea, following an incident where Houthi forces fired upon several of its vessels. By January 2026, Maersk was prepared to restart certain independent services through the Suez Canal and Red Sea, and one month later, the Gemini Cooperation with Hapag-Lloyd declared the reintroduction of its first routes to that region.
That resumption proved temporary. After hostilities erupted between the United States and Iran at the close of February, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd once again halted their operations through the Red Sea.
Maersk indicated that the current restart is the beginning of a gradual effort to reestablish transits. However, it cautioned that no definitive schedule has been set at this stage.
The Suez Canal Authority noted that in 2023, Maersk completed 1,158 transits carrying a total net cargo of 127 million tons. Although shipping traffic has been slowly returning to the Suez Canal, large container vessels have been slower to resume. CMA CGM has been the leading major carrier to reinstate services through the area. The Suez Canal Authority had expressed its belief that Maersk would take the lead, prompting other carriers to follow and bring their ships back to this more efficient route.