The number of container ships choosing to sail round the Cape of Good Hope rather than through the Suez Canal has reached its lowest level since 2024. Nevertheless, the Red Sea remains a hazardous route.
Two of the world’s largest liner shipping companies have already taken the step of returning to the Red Sea. Both Maersk and CMA CGM are once again sending more ships through the Suez Canal, rather than taking the detour via the Cape of Good Hope off the coast of South Africa. The shipping companies, which have been making greater use of the Suez route again since the start of the year, intend to continue these voyages in order to shorten transit times between Asia and Europe.
According to the maritime consultancy Linerlytica, 5.2 per cent of the global container fleet is currently sailing around the Cape of Good Hope; at the start of the year, this figure had peaked at 16 per cent.
The Houthi rebels began attacking ships in November 2023, following Israel’s launch of its military operation against Palestine. As a result, many shipping companies were forced to opt for the more time-consuming and costly route around South Africa. The change in route had extended journey times on the Asia–Europe route by 10 to 14 days.
Linerlytica estimates that currently fewer than 300 container ships, with a total capacity of just 4.1 million TEU, are using this route – a significant decline from the peak of 8.5 million TEU at the start of the year. At the same time, the situation in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has once again deteriorated: most recently, the Houthis, who are allied with Iran, attacked merchant ships there once more and targeted Saudi Arabian ports.
Despite a recent adjustment to freight rates on the Asia–Europe route following an early peak season, CMA CGM and Maersk are continuing to push ahead with the return to the Suez route. The two shipping lines are routing vessels on their Epic (westbound) and AE11 services, respectively, through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. These vessels do not call at any ports in Saudi Arabia, but sail directly through the Suez Canal. CMA CGM and Maersk were the first to express their willingness to resume passages through the Suez Canal, having already made initial attempts back in November 2025.
In addition, Maersk is sending the ‘Eleonora Maersk’ (17,816 TEU) via the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean as part of the AE11/SE2 service. Following the Danish shipping company’s AE15/SE3 service, this is now the second Mediterranean service to return to the Suez route. (PL)
