Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are expanding their return to the Red Sea with a new Jeddah call on the Gemini Cooperation’s AE15 service. The move restores a direct connection with Saudi Arabia while security risks in the region remain high.
The revised rotation will begin with MV Madison Maersk on voyage 632W. The service will connect Qingdao, Kwangyang, Ningbo and Tanjung Pelepas with Jeddah. It will then continue through the Suez Canal to Port Said and Damietta before returning through Suez and sailing via Colombo and Singapore. Maersk said the Jeddah call will improve connectivity between Asia, Europe and Saudi Arabia.
The change follows the carriers’ decision in July to move AE15 from the Cape of Good Hope back to the Suez route. MV Majestic Maersk was the first vessel to operate the revised service. Maersk described the move as part of a gradual return of Gemini services through the Suez corridor after assessing conditions in the Red Sea.
Using the Suez Canal provides a shorter route between Asia and Europe than sailing around southern Africa. This reduces voyage times and vessel operating costs. The Jeddah call also restores direct liner connectivity with one of Saudi Arabia’s main Red Sea container hubs.
The move comes as security risks in the region remain high. The Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20 and have since claimed attacks on Saudi-linked shipping and infrastructure.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have kept their return to the region conditional on security developments. Maersk said it has contingency plans to reroute individual sailings, or potentially the wider service, around the Cape of Good Hope if conditions deteriorate. The carriers have stressed that crew and vessel safety remains the priority.
