Danish shipping company Maersk said on Friday that one of its vessels has successfully navigated the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the first time in nearly two years, though the company stressed it has no immediate plans to fully resume traffic along the route.
In a statement, Maersk said the vessel Maersk Sebarok completed the transit on Thursday and Friday, marking a rare passage through the strategically vital shipping corridor since vessels were diverted due to security concerns.
Maersk began rerouting ships away from the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea around the Cape of Good Hope in January 2024 after Yemen’s Houthi militants launched attacks on commercial shipping in the area, saying the assaults were carried out in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
“Whilst this is a significant step forward, it does not mean that we are at a point where we are considering a wider East-West network change back to the trans-Suez corridor,” the company said.
Maersk added that it was considering a “stepwise approach” toward resuming passage through the area but noted that there are currently no additional sailings planned via the route.
The Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait are key arteries for global trade, linking Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal. Disruptions to the corridor have forced shipping companies to take longer and more costly routes around southern Africa, contributing to higher freight costs and delays.
