ONE launches Poland-Egypt Express weekly service
The Gdansk-Bremerhaven-Alexandria rotation links Baltic and North Sea gateways with Egypt’s principal Mediterranean port.
EUROPE – Ocean Network Express has launched the Poland-Egypt Express (PEX), a new weekly shipping service to strengthen trade connectivity between the Baltic, Northern Europe and Egypt, according to a company statement.
The new service will complement ONE’s existing Levant Express service and provide direct connections along the Gdansk-Bremerhaven-Alexandria route, with Alexandria served on the southbound leg.
Maiden voyage
Antwerp will operate the inaugural voyage under voyage number 642S, with the vessel scheduled to call at Poland’s Port of Gdansk from 15 to 17 October 2026.
Network expansion
The new service will expand ONE’s coverage across the Intra-Europe trade lane, providing additional shipping capacity, greater route flexibility and direct connectivity between European markets and Egypt.
The Gdansk-Bremerhaven-Alexandria rotation links Baltic and North Sea gateways with Egypt’s principal Mediterranean port.
Port connections
Gdansk is Poland’s largest container port and a key Baltic gateway to Central and Eastern European markets.
Meanwhile, Bremerhaven ranks among Europe’s busiest container terminals, handling cargo for Germany and the wider Northern European hinterland.
As for Alexandria, the service links to Egypt’s industrial and commercial centres, including the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
Trade context
The service follows other route developments on the Europe-Egypt corridor. In September 2026, Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk returned four additional Gemini Cooperation services to the Suez Canal, including the AE5, AE11, AE12 and ME2, after routing around the Cape of Good Hope.
CMA CGM also partially restored Suez Canal transits on its East-West services in August 2026.
Suez Canal revenue reached US$567.1 million in August 2026, up 56.7% year on year, with 1,358 vessels transiting the waterway, according to Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority.
Market conditions
The launch comes as Asia-Europe container freight rates decline, with the Shanghai-Genoa rate down 10% week on week to US$4,368 per 40-foot container on September 3, according to the Drewry’s World Container Index.
Asian port congestion reached 4.3 million TEU, exceeding the 4.0 million TEU recorded at the pandemic peak, according to Linerlytica data.
Finally, the Poland-Egypt Express reflects ONE’s focus on expanding intra-European connectivity, while the carrier maintains network flexibility and deploys capacity across key trade lanes.
Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.
