Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd return ME1 India-Europe service to Suez Canal
ME1 is the latest phase of the phased restoration of Gemini Cooperation services through Suez.
GLOBAL – Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will return their joint ME1 container service, connecting India and Europe, to the Suez Canal from early November, replacing the Cape of Good Hope routing adopted after Red Sea attacks in late 2023, according to a Maersk statement.
The first westbound sailing is the Atlanta Express, voyage 644W, departing Salalah on 4 November 2026.
Meanwhile, the first eastbound departure is the Savannah Express, voyage 644E, from Tangier on 12 or 13 November, depending on the carrier’s schedule.
Prior service returns under Gemini
ME1 is the latest phase of the phased restoration of Gemini Cooperation services through Suez.
The AE15 Asia-Mediterranean service returned in July 2026, followed by the AE19 in August. In September, four additional services, AE5, AE11, AE12 and ME2, transitioned from Cape routing, with the first westbound sailings departing from Tanjung Pelepas on 19 September.
Across the industry, all four major alliances now operate regular westbound Asia-North Europe services via the Suez Canal. MSC restored its Lion/FE5 service, while OCEAN Alliance and Premier Alliance also resumed services, according to trade reports.
Security monitoring and revised rotation
The ME1 rotation retains its calls on the Indian west coast at Mundra and Nhava Sheva, with the full rotation: Mundra – Nhava Sheva – Salalah – Suez Canal – Tangier – Rotterdam – Wilhelmshaven – Hamburg – London – Algeciras – Tangier – Suez Canal – Salalah – Mundra.
“Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will continue to monitor the security situation in the Middle East region very closely, and any alteration to services within the Gemini Cooperation will remain dependent on the ongoing stability in the Red Sea area,” Maersk said.
The return follows a decline in attacks. A German official coordinating naval shipping reported no Houthi attacks for four to five weeks as of late October, with the group stating it is targeting only vessels with Saudi connections.
Red Sea traffic remains below one-third of pre-October 2023 levels, when weekly transits averaged 80 vessels carrying 3.4 million tonnes, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
Finally, for Indian exporters and European importers, the Suez route reduces transit times compared with the Cape route, which added up to two weeks and 6,000 nautical miles to each voyage.
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