Maersk is returning another container service to the Suez Canal and Red Sea route, just days after announcing the end of Cape of Good Hope diversions for the AE15 service.
The shipping line announced on July 9 that its Middle East-US East Coast MECL service would return to the trans-Suez route following the structural change to the AE15 service and the successful Red Sea transit of the Majestic Maersk.
The MECL service, which is operated solely by Maersk, connects ports in India and the Middle East with the US East Coast.
The change would reduce average transit times by seven days on westbound sailings and 14 days on eastbound sailings, Maersk said.
The first westbound sailing via the trans-Suez route will be operated by the Maersk Denver on voyage 627W, while the Maersk Chicago on voyage 624E will be the first eastbound sailing to use the route.
Jeddah call added
Maersk will also add an eastbound call at Jeddah as part of the service changes, which are expected to take effect during August.
The revised eastbound rotation will call at Charleston, Savannah, Houston, Norfolk, Newark, Tangiers, Jeddah, Salalah, Mundra, Pipavav and Nhava Sheva.
The change marked a further step towards a gradual return to the trans-Suez corridor, the carrier said.
Maersk said it would continue to closely monitor the security situation in the Middle East and had contingency plans to divert individual sailings or the wider service back around the Cape of Good Hope if conditions deteriorated.
