Mega-boxships return as carriers broaden Red Sea revival
- Gemini Cooperation expands Suez routings to six services, with Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd adding AE5, AE11, AE12 and ME2 to the AE15 and AE19 loops already transiting the Red Sea
- Bab el Mandeb crossings by ships above 18,000 teu have jumped from one in 2025 to 44 so far this year, underscoring growing carrier confidence in the Red Sea
- CMA CGM’s early return is increasingly being mirrored by rivals, with MSC and Cosco joining the Gemini carriers in reintroducing Suez routings across core Asia-Europe and Asia-Mediterranean services
The return of megamax containerships to the Red Sea is emerging as the clearest indicator of improving carrier confidence, as major liner operators expand Suez Canal transits and cautiously restore the corridor to core east-west trades after almost three years of disruption
