<p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are returning their ME1 service to the Suez Canal route, marking another step in the gradual normalisation of Asia–Europe container shipping after years of Red Sea disruption . The ME1 service, which connects India and Europe, will now sail via the trans-Suez corridor instead of the longer Cape of Good Hope route that carriers adopted when Houthi attacks made the Red Sea unsafe for commercial transit .</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The revised rotation restores a direct maritime link between India's west coast ports and northern European hubs. The service will call at Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Salalah, transit the Suez Canal, and then proceed to Tangier, Rotterdam, Wilhelmshaven, Hamburg, London, and Algeciras before returning east via Tangier, Suez, Salalah, and Mundra . The first vessel on the new routing, Atlanta Express, is scheduled to depart Salalah on 4 November 2026, with the eastbound counterpart, Savannah Express, departing Tangier on 13 November .</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The operational significance of the switch lies in transit times. The Cape of Good Hope route adds roughly two weeks to a voyage between Asia and Europe compared with the Suez Canal, and it consumes significantly more fuel. By returning ME1 to Suez, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd can offer shippers faster and more fuel-efficient transport between India and Europe, which is particularly relevant for time-sensitive cargo and for exporters competing on delivery reliability . Maersk framed the change as offering "more efficient transit times" and described the Suez Canal as "the fastest, most sustainable, and most efficient way to serve customers with transport between India and Europe" .</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The decision is conditional, and the carriers have been explicit about that. Maersk stated that "any alteration to services within the Gemini Cooperation will remain dependent on the ongoing stability in the Red Sea area," and that the safety of crew, vessels, and customers' cargo remains the highest priority . This caveat is not a formality: the Red Sea security situation has improved in recent weeks, with no attacks reported for extended periods, but the underlying threat from Houthi forces has not been eliminated. The carriers are testing the route's viability while retaining the ability to revert to the Cape if conditions deteriorate.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">For Indian exporters and importers, the ME1 shift is a tangible improvement in connectivity to Europe. India's trade with the EU is substantial, with bilateral merchandise trade valued at approximately €118 billion in 2025 . The availability of a Suez-routed service reduces the transit disadvantage that Indian shippers have faced relative to competitors from origins with more direct access to European markets. It also complements the broader recovery of Red Sea routings, which now account for a majority of Far East–Europe container capacity.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The timing of the ME1 switch aligns with the India–EU Free Trade Agreement's expected signing in December 2026. The FTA is projected to eliminate tariffs on over 99% of Indian exports to the EU, and improved shipping connectivity via Suez strengthens the commercial case for the agreement by reducing the logistics friction that has historically added to the cost of India–Europe trade . Maersk's decision to restore the faster route comes as both sides prepare for a closer trading relationship.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">Looking ahead, the durability of the ME1's Suez routing will depend on whether the Red Sea security environment remains stable. The carriers have not committed to a permanent switch, and the Cape route remains a fallback if attacks resume. For now, the change signals that Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd assess the risk-reward balance as favouring the faster route, and that the gradual return to Suez that began earlier in 2026 is continuing rather than reversing.</span></p>