Gemini Cooperation Launches AE18 Service and Adjusts AE2, AE11 and AE19 Routes

Gemini Cooperation, the alliance between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, announced the launch of a new service designated AE18 by Maersk and SE5 by Hapag-Lloyd, connecting Asia with the Western Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. The carrier noted that this addition, together with the AE19 service, will help consolidate existing coverage at the ports of Algeciras and Tanger Med, as part of the structural reorganization of its Asia-Mediterranean routes announced previously.

The new AE18 rotation will include calls at Shanghai, Xiamen, Tanjung Pelepas, Algeciras, Tangier, Algeciras and Xiamen again, adding this latter Chinese port as a new connection point. The inaugural voyage will be handled by the vessel Maersk Edirne, departing from Shanghai on November 22, corresponding to voyage 647W. According to Maersk, Gemini's modular network design will also facilitate improvements to transport products from Asia to West Africa and the east coast of Latin America.

The AE2 service, linking Asia with Northern Europe, will replace the Tangier call with Rotterdam in the westbound direction, offering an alternative connection from Ningbo and Shanghai to the Dutch port; the change will take effect from the sailing of the vessel Moscow Maersk, voyage 646W, with the first call at Ningbo and departure scheduled for November 15. Meanwhile, the AE11 will add a call at Salalah, Oman, and replace Tangier with Port Said, Egypt, in the westbound direction, with the vessel Estelle Maersk initiating this configuration on November 17 from Shanghai, on voyage 647W.

The AE19 will replace the Shanghai call with Nansha, China, and add a new call at Damietta, Egypt, changes that will begin with the departure of the vessel Ane Maersk from Xingang on November 18, on voyage 647W. These changes come amid a broader context in which carriers are accelerating the return of services via the Red Sea, as reported by the Journal of Commerce.