Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will switch the AE15 Gemini service back to the trans-Suez corridor from the Cape of Good Hope route, with Majestic Maersk scheduled for the first sailing, according to Maersk.
The change, announced on 6 July 2026, follows security assessments in the Red Sea area and represents a cautious step towards restoring part of the Gemini network through Suez. AE15 connects Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe.
The revised rotation will be Qingdao, Kwangyang, Ningbo, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Said, Damietta, Colombo and Singapore. The shift is aimed at cutting transit times for Asia-Europe customers after the service was routed around southern Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will keep monitoring security conditions in the Middle East. Any further changes within the Gemini Cooperation will depend on continued stability in the Red Sea area and the absence of escalation. Crew, vessel and cargo safety remains the stated priority. If conditions deteriorate, individual sailings or the wider AE15 change could be reversed, with the service returning to the Cape of Good Hope route under contingency plans.
A.P. Moller - Maersk A/S is a Danish transport and logistics group whose activities include ocean container shipping, port services, warehousing and inland logistics.
Hapag-Lloyd AG is a German liner shipping company that provides container transport services through a global network of trade lanes and terminals.
The Gemini Cooperation is the east-west vessel-sharing partnership between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd.