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Maersk resumes Trans-Suez routing for its Middle East-India-US East Coast service effective mid-January
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The decision follows recent Trans-Suez voyages and improved Red Sea security conditions
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MECL service links the Middle East and India with the US East Coast and is operated solely by Maersk
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The integrated logistics company retains contingency plans should regional security conditions deteriorate
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First westbound and eastbound sailings via Trans-Suez departed on January 15 and 10, respectively
A.P. Moller-Maersk has restored its Middle East-India-US East Coast (MECL) service to the Trans-Suez route starting January 15, marking its first structural return to the corridor since disruptions in the Red Sea prompted diversions via the longer Cape of Good Hope route.
The decision, the company announced in a press release, follows the successful Trans-Suez transits of the Maersk Sebarok and the Maersk Denver. It prompted the carrier to reinstate the service pattern originally designed for MECL to deliver more efficient transit times to customers.
The MECL service, which links the Middle East and India with the US East Coast, is operated solely by Maersk.
The return to the Trans-Suez route allows the company to restore its intended sailing schedules and improve network reliability.
Maersk said it will continue to closely monitor the security situation in the Middle East, noting that any changes to the MECL service will depend on sustained stability in the Red Sea and the absence of further risk escalation in the region.
The company emphasized that the safety of its crew, assets, and customers’ cargo remains its highest priority. Contingency plans remain in place should conditions deteriorate, which could require individual sailings or the wider MECL service to revert to the Cape of Good Hope route.
Maersk reiterated that the Trans-Suez corridor remains its preferred routing. Since diverting sailings away from the Red Sea, the company has consistently stated its intention to resume Trans-Suez operations when conditions permitted.
The Suez Canal is a critical maritime link between the east and west and a key enabler of efficient global supply chains. Routing through the Suez Canal, Red Sea, and Bab el-Mandeb Strait remains the fastest, most sustainable, and most efficient option for cargo movements between Asia and Europe, the company said.
The structural change to the MECL service marks a significant milestone in Maersk’s gradual resumption of Trans-Suez sailings. The company said its strategic partnership with the Suez Canal Authority played an important role in planning the return, alongside continued collaboration with other regional partners to ensure operational safety, predictability, and stability for customers.
The first westbound sailing under the revised service will be the Cornelia Maersk, voyage 603W, departed Jebel Ali on January 15. The Maersk Detroit, voyage 602E, which departed North Charleston on January 10, will be the first eastbound sailing to use the Trans-Suez route, with all subsequent MECL sailings following the same routing.
Maersk is a global integrated logistics company operating in more than 130 countries and employing around 100,000 people worldwide.
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