Maersk Operations through Red Sea / Gulf of Aden

Following the 30 December incident involving our vessel, Maersk Hangzhou, we have decided to pause all transits through the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden until further notice.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing and we will continue to pause all cargo movement through the area while we further assess the constantly evolving situation. In cases where it makes most sense for our customers, vessels will be rerouted and continue their journey around the Cape of Good Hope. The latest information is available on our diversion and contingency plans page.

We remain committed to minimising the impact on our customers’ supply chains and will continue to keep you updated on the situation. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the options for your cargo, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Maersk representative.

Following an incident involving one of our vessels, the A.P. Moller – Maersk group (Maersk) has today decided to pause all transits through the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden until 2 January.

The vessel in question is the Maersk Hangzhou. On December 30, at approximately 18:00 CET, it was hit by an unknown object after passing through the Bab al- Mandab Strait en route from Singapore to Port Suez, Egypt. There was no indication of a fire on board and the vessel was able to continue its transit north. After the initial attack, four boats approached Maersk Hangzhou and opened fire in an attempt to board the vessel. Maersk Hangzhou’s security team, along with a helicopter deployed from a nearby navy vessel, successfully thwarted the attempt.

The crew of the Maersk Hangzhou is reported to be safe. The safety of our crew is our utmost priority and all necessary security measures have been implemented to protect them. The crew will also receive all the support they need from Maersk.

As shared in our update on 29 December, Maersk Hangzhou was among the first vessels to go through the Red Sea again following confirmation that the multinational security initiatives, Operation Prosperity Guardia (OPG), had been deployed in the area.

Maersk is currently working to ascertain the full details of the incident involving Maersk Hangzhou. We are in close dialogue with the OPG naval operation and authorities to assess the security level in the area and any potential impact to our voyage plans.

We expect to provide our customers with an update and more information on 2 January 2024 at the latest.

A.P. Moller – Maersk continues to monitor developments around the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden and are making carefully considered changes to services to ensure the safety of our seafarers, vessels, and customers’ cargo.

As of Sunday 24 December 2023, we received confirmation that the multi-national security initiative Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) had been set up and deployed to allow maritime commerce to pass through the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden and once again return to using the Suez Canal as a gateway between Asia and Europe. With this reassurance, Maersk announced that it was preparing to allow for its vessels to resume transit through the Red Sea, both eastbound and westbound.

Our teams have now started to update voyage plans on a vessel-by-vessel basis, which will see the first vessels pass through the Red Sea again. This is most welcome news for the entire industry and the functionality of global trade. Please note that for the foreseeable future, voyage plans are expected to include transit through the Red Sea as well as shipments diverted via the Cape of Good Hope. It is important to note that the overall risk in the area, at this stage, is not eliminated and the challenging situation in the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden remains. Our utmost priority has been and always will be the safety of our seafarers, our vessels and your cargo and our teams are preparing voyage plans with this in mind.

Accordingly, we will share the latest voyage details with our customers as soon as we can, and you can also stay updated on the latest vessel contingency plans here: Red Sea / Gulf of Aden Situation: Vessel Contingency Updates | Maersk.

The previously announced Transit Disruption Surcharge (TDS), Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) and Emergency Contingency Surcharge (ECS) for all cargo on vessels affected by the disruptions around the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden will remain in effect until further notice. Our teams will continue to evaluate the impact of the situation and hope to withdraw the surcharges as soon as it is operationally feasible to do so.

We greatly appreciate your trust, loyalty and understanding during such challenging times and look forwards to continuing to serve your needs.

Should you have any questions or wish to discuss options for your cargo, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Maersk representative.

The recent security situation around the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden has seen Maersk and other carriers pause, adjust and divert services away from the area in the interest of safety. Our utmost priority has been and always will be the safety of our seafarers as well as your cargo on our vessels, and all contingency measures have been introduced with these in mind.

As of Sunday 24 December 2023, we have received confirmation that the previously announced multi-national security initiative Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) has now been set up and deployed to allow maritime commerce to pass through the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden and once again return to using the Suez Canal as a gateway between Asia and Europe. This is most welcome news for the entire industry and indeed the functionality of global trade.

With the OPG initiative in operation, we are preparing to allow for vessels to resume transit through the Red Sea both eastbound and westbound. We are currently working on plans for the first vessels to make the transit and for this to happen as soon as operationally possible. While doing so, ensuring the safety of our employees is of the utmost importance and our number one priority in handling the challenging situation in the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden area.

Our teams are still assessing the immediate effects of the resolution, and we kindly request your patience while we understand the impact it will have in terms of diverted vessels, surcharges, booking acceptance and further contingency measures. We will communicate the latest details of this new setup with you as soon as we have more information, which we expect to be in the coming days.

Please also note that although security measures are in place to enable the transit of the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden for our vessels, the overall risk in the area is not eliminated at this stage. Maersk will not hesitate to re-evaluate the situation and once again initiate diversion plans if we deem it necessary for the safety of our seafarers.

We are extremely grateful for your trust, loyalty and understanding through such challenging circumstances and we look forward to continuing to serve your logistics needs.

Should you have any questions or wish to discuss options for your cargo, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Maersk representative.

On Friday 15 December 2023, A.P. Moller – Maersk announced that it would pause all vessels bound for the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden over the highly escalated security situation in the area. This decision was taken to ensure the safety of our crew, vessels and customers’ cargo onboard.

Having monitored developments closely and retrieved all available intelligence, Maersk has decided that all vessels previously paused and due to sail through the region will now be re-routed around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope for safety reasons. They will continue their voyages on the diverted routes as soon as operationally feasible and we will update customers on the latest details when we know more.

For all future vessels planned to sail through the area, a case-by-case assessment will take place to determine whether adjustments need to be made – including diversions via the Cape of Good Hope and further contingency measures. We will continue to provide all information to affected customers on a vessel-by-vessel basis as soon as possible.

We have faith that a solution enabling a return to using the Suez Canal and transiting through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden will be introduced in the near future, but at this time it remains difficult to determine exactly when this will be. As such, getting vessels moving via the Cape of Good Hope will ultimately be a faster and more predictable outcome for customers and their supply chains.

We understand the impact this may have on your logistics operations, but please rest assured that all decisions have been carefully considered by our teams and only implemented in the name of safety.

Should you have any questions or wish to discuss options for your cargo, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Maersk representative. We appreciate your trust and loyalty as we work through these challenging circumstances.

A.P. Moller – Maersk is deeply concerned about the highly escalated security situation in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The recent attacks on commercial vessels in the area are alarming and pose a significant threat to the safety and lives of seafarers, as well as the functionality of global trade.

Following the near-miss incident involving Maersk Gibraltar on Thursday 14 December 2023 and yet another attack on a container vessel on Friday 15 December 2023, we have instructed all Maersk vessels in the area bound to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait to pause their journey until further notice.

We are monitoring the situation constantly and retrieving all available intelligence on the security situation in the area. We expect to share more information about any next steps for these paused vessels within the next few days.

Ensuring the safety of our employees is of the utmost importance and our number one priority in handling this challenging situation. We are also committed to ensuring the stability of our customers’ supply chains, and we are working closely with our logistics teams and taking the necessary steps to minimise the impact on customers.

We understand the potential impact this will have on your supply chain, but rest assured that all decisions have been carefully considered and only implemented to ensure the safety of our vessels, crew and your cargo.

We appreciate your trust and loyalty as we work through these challenging circumstances. If you have any questions or wish to discuss options, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Maersk representative.