Drewry Forecasts 44 Blank Sailings Over Five-Week Period

An analysis by consultancy Drewry forecasts that carriers will cancel 44 sailings on the major East-West trade routes over the next five weeks, between October 19 and November 22, 2026. That figure represents 6% of the 713 sailings scheduled for the period, according to the Cancelled Sailings Tracker report, meaning 94% of services are expected to operate as planned.

The cancellations are concentrated mainly on the Asia-North Europe and Mediterranean trades, which account for 44% of the total announced blank sailings. They are followed by eastbound Transpacific services, with 36%, and the Transatlantic trade, which accounts for the remaining 20% of the suspensions.

According to Drewry, the situation stems from seasonal demand weakening combined with greater capacity availability, making it harder for carriers to sustain rate increase attempts. The consultancy noted that, as carriers must balance rate hikes against softer seasonal demand and increased available capacity, the sustainability of the recent freight rate rebound remains uncertain.

The report also recorded a recovery in container shipping rates: as of October 15, 2026, Drewry's World Container Index rose 3% week-on-week to US$4,485 per FEU. The increase was driven by the Asia-Europe/Mediterranean trades and Transpacific services, while the Transatlantic route showed a slight decline.

Drewry also identified other elements adding complexity to the sector's outlook, such as the gradual return of services through the Suez Canal, developments in port congestion, and the start of 2027 contract negotiations on the Asia-Europe/Mediterranean trades, which are taking place against a backdrop of capacity adjustments and uncertainty over freight rate trends.