Danish shipping firm Maersk said on Monday that another of its vessels successfully navigated the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, weeks after it tested the route as a ceasefire in Gaza raised hopes for normal shipping traffic.
"On 11-12 January 2026, the US-flagged vessel Maersk Denver voyage 552W, currently operating on the MECL service, successfully transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and into the Red Sea," Maersk said in a statement.
"Assuming that security thresholds continue to be met, we will continue our stepwise approach towards gradually resuming navigation along the East-West corridor via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. There are no additional sailings to announce at this time," Maersk added.
Maersk had already successfully navigated the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the first time in nearly two years back on December 19, 2025.
At that time, the Danish shipping firm assured that it had no plans to fully reopen the route; it was considering continuing a "stepwise approach towards gradually resuming navigation" via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.
Gaza ceasefire eases international shipping lanes
Maersk, along with other global shipping companies, including Hapag Lloyd, rerouted vessels around Africa's Cape of Good Hope from December 2023 after Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked ships in the Red Sea, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The Suez Canal is the fastest route between Asia and Europe.
The potential return of Maersk to the Suez Canal could ripple through the shipping sector, where freight rates have risen because the alternative route added weeks to transit times between Asia and Europe.
"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," Maersk said.
Niels Rasmussen, chief shipping analyst at ship-owner association BIMCO, said that a return of regular transits via the route could result in a 10% reduction in ship demand.
French container shipping company CMA CGM, which has made limited Suez passages when security conditions allow, will use the passage for its India–US INDAMEX service from January, according to a schedule published on its website.