Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have decided to modify the route of one of the shared services under the Gemini cooperation. Starting in mid-February 2026, the ME11 service, which connects India and the Middle East with the Mediterranean, will transit through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, abandoning the alternative route via the Cape of Good Hope that had been used in recent months.
The Danish and German shipping companies have informed their customers that this structural change will allow for more efficient transit times. All crossings will have naval protection.
The changes will be implemented for westbound voyages starting with the Albert Maersk vessel, on its 605W voyage, which is en route from Jebel Ali to India and is scheduled to depart from the port of Mundra on February 4, 2026. For eastbound, the change applies starting with the Astrid Maersk vessel, voyage 605E, departing from Valencia on February 3, 2026.
Both companies have indicated that they will continue monitoring the security situation in the Middle East region, and any disruption to the Gemini service will depend on the stability in the Red Sea area and the absence of escalation in regional conflicts. The safety of the crew, vessels, and customer cargo remains the top priority, and all necessary safety measures will be implemented for vessels transiting the area.
The shipping companies have contingency plans in case the security situation deteriorates, which could involve the return of individual crossings or the entire ME11 service to the route via the Cape of Good Hope.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will also implement changes in the AE12 and AE15 services to transit through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal at a later stage, when conditions allow. The companies will inform their customers about these changes in due course. For now, no further modifications to the Gemini network related to the Red Sea are expected.
The Gemini cooperation, launched in February 2025, encompasses 29 shared mainline services and 29 shuttle services on the East-West routes. Earlier this year, Maersk took a structural first step back to the Red Sea by redirecting its MECL service, which connects the Middle East and India with the East Coast of the United States, through the Suez Canal. That decision came after trial trips conducted by the Maersk Sebarok and Maersk Denver vessels.