Hapag-Lloyd Expects More Services to Return to the Suez Canal
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German shipping line Hapag-Lloyd expects more of its services to return to the Suez Canal, after two of its Asia-Europe routes already began using the Egyptian waterway, according to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA).
Meeting in Ismailia
Juan Pablo Richards, Hapag-Lloyd's regional head for Southern Europe, met on October 21 with SCA Chairman Ossama Rabiee at the authority's headquarters in Ismailia. Richards explained that the company closely monitors developments in the Red Sea situation and maritime security indicators when assessing adjustments to its schedules, within the framework of a gradual return of transits through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Suez Canal. According to Richards, more Hapag-Lloyd services are expected to return to the canal in the coming period.
The SCA's Position
Rabiee stated that the Suez Canal is ready to welcome back various shipping services and noted that the authority has continued developing its navigation services and modernizing its fleet to meet customer requirements. The SCA chairman also expressed his expectation that a full return of Hapag-Lloyd's services to the Egyptian waterway will be achieved.
Training Cooperation
During the meeting, both parties also discussed potential cooperation between the SCA's Maritime Training and Simulation Academy and the Tahya Misr 1 terminal of Damietta Alliance Container Terminals, at the Port of Damietta, to provide training for ship captains. Hapag-Lloyd is one of the main investors in that terminal.
Industry Trend
Hapag-Lloyd's move is part of a broader trend in container shipping, which has been gradually restoring its Red Sea services despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region. The appeal of shorter transit times, lower fuel costs, and improved security conditions explains this return, in a context where Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen expects most of the carrier's services to resume sailing through Suez by early next year.
