Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are transferring the AE19/SE4 service to the Suez Canal route | El Estrecho Digital

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have agreed to structurally modify the AE19 service, called SE4 in the commercial network of the German shipping company, so that their ships navigate through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal instead of going around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.

The decision takes immediate effect and will start with the “Berlin Maersk” on voyage 628W heading west and on 637E towards Asia. Both companies have adopted the measure after analyzing the security situation in the Red Sea and present it as part of a gradual process of recovering the Suez maritime corridor.

The announced rotation will be Xingang, Qingdao, Busan, Ningbo, Shanghai, Tanjung Pelepas, Jeddah, Suez Canal, Port Said, Tangier Med, Port Said, Suez Canal, Jeddah, Singapore, and Xingang. The itinerary confirms that Algeciras remains unincorporated into this link between Asia, Saudi Arabia, and the Mediterranean, despite its proximity to the Moroccan connection center included by Gemini.

The use of the Suez Canal will shorten trips between Asia and Europe compared to navigating around the Cape of Good Hope. Shipping companies believe that this corridor offers a more direct, faster, and efficient connection, in addition to reducing travel distances and the associated fuel consumption for each trip.

The service began operating in March 2026 as part of Maersk’s East-West network and the Gemini cooperation. Its first departure westward was made by the “Maersk Elba”, arriving in Xingang on March 13. The initial rotation included navigation around the Cape of Good Hope and stops at the western and eastern Mediterranean connection hubs, from which the cargo was distributed via complementary services to different European ports.

Hapag-Lloyd incorporated the route into its offering under the name SE4 during the reorganization applied in March to various Middle Eastern services. Those changes included the temporary suspension of the AGX and IMX services and the introduction of SE4 to maintain connections between Asia, the Mediterranean, and Jeddah.

The “Berlin Maersk”, tasked with initiating the new configuration, has a capacity of 17,480 TEU and is equipped with a dual propulsion system prepared to use methanol. The container ship was named in June 2025 at Hyundai Heavy Industries’ facilities in Ulsan, South Korea, and is the first unit of a series of six ships of the same type ordered by Maersk.

Its design is based on the previous “Ane Maersk” class, although it has a larger beam to increase transport capacity. At the time of its incorporation, it was the dual-fuel container ship with the highest capacity in the Danish company’s fleet.

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have indicated that the safety of the crews, ships, and cargo will continue to condition any decision regarding the route. The companies will maintain vigilance over the evolution of the situation in the Red Sea and will communicate possible modifications to the affected customers.

For now, there is no schedule to transfer other complete services from the East-West network to the Suez corridor. Maersk has indicated that the change of AE19 constitutes a specific modification and that currently, a general reorganization of the Gemini network is not being contemplated.