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Dear Customer,
We are pleased to inform you that the Maersk MECL service will make a structural return to the Trans-Suez route.
This decision follows a continued stabilisation of conditions in and around the Red Sea, including the Suez corridor, as well as improved stability and reliability in the region, allowing us to return to the service pattern originally designed to provide our customers with the most efficient transit times. The MECL service is solely operated by Maersk, and connects the Middle East and India with the US East Coast.
Maersk will continue to monitor the security situation in the region very closely, and any alteration to the MECL service will remain dependent on the ongoing stability in the Red Sea area and the absence of any escalation in regional conflict. The safety of crew, assets, and customers’ cargo remains the highest priority. Maersk has contingency plans in place should the security situation deteriorate, which may necessitate reverting individual MECL sailings or the wider structural change of the MECL service back to the Cape of Good Hope route.
Returning to our original service pattern
Maersk is implementing a structural return to the trans-Suez route for all vessels on the Maersk MECL service.
From Cornelia Maersk voyage 603W, departing Jebel Ali on 15 January 2026, the MECL service will operate via the westbound Trans-Suez route. The Maersk Detroit voyage 602E, departing North Charleston on 10 January 2026, will be the first eastbound sailing to use the Trans-Suez route, with all subsequent sailings following this routing.
To see more on the schedules,click here.
What this will mean for you and your cargo on MECL services
The Trans-Suez route is the fastest and most efficient route for MECL, and you will benefit from a transit time that is one week faster, expected from Maersk Kensington voyage 607W (Westbound) and onwards, and on Eastbound sailings from the Maersk Detroit voyage 602E and onwards.
In order to offer more sufficient time for you to adjust your supply chains and your logistics planning, sailings prior to the Maersk Kensington and the Maersk Detroit will not see any changes in transit times.
Please note that as the Clementine (voyage 606W) and the Kensington (voyage 607W) will be arriving to Newark in the same week, there may be some temporary impacts to imports to the US via MECL. This is not expected to generate congestion. If you have questions regarding this, please feel free to speak to your customer representative, who can assist with further information.
Your next steps
We suggest you review your upcoming bookings on the MECL service and coordinate with your supply chain partners to align inland logistics with the revised transit times.
Additionally, we advise you to continue to monitor the Red Sea situation page on Maersk.com.
Additional changes to our global network
At this point in time, Maersk does not have any additional structural changes to announce to its East-West network. Should the situation evolve, we will communicate promptly and transparently.
Need more information?
If you have any questions about MECL and how it may impact your supply chain and business, please contact us – our teams are standing by and ready to assist and guide you.
As your chosen logistics partner, we appreciate your trust in us and look forward to working with you further.
Sincerely,
A.P. Moller Maersk
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