Suez Canal

The return has started in Suez, but the routes can change weekly.

After a two-year hiatus, major lines started to use the Suez Canal again. Maersk returned one service to the Red Sea after test voyages in January 2026; Hapag-Lloyd accompanied this decision in February as part of the same alliance. By June, weekly crossings had reached 27-28 ships, a 20% increase from the previous period.

The picture has not completely improved. At the end of July - August 2026, the security risk in the region rose again: drone attack on ships in Damietta, successive tanker attacks and the declaration of a "blockade" by the Houthis, the death of 11 crew members on a ship on August 4, and the expansion of the high-risk zone by London insurers, to name a few. Some carriers turned to the Cape of Good Hope route again after these developments.

So there is actually no clear picture. The return is real but permanent, no one can guarantee yet. And because of this uncertainty, route decisions can no longer change on a monthly basis, but week by week, sometimes day by day — which directly affects time, capacity and price.

In such a period, instead of sticking to a single offer, it really makes a difference to compare all the offers you have (regardless of which route they come from, duration, currency).

Photo by Anastasios Antoniadis on Unsplash #Denizcilik #Lojistik #SüveyşKanalı #KızıldenizKrizi #Navlun #ShipMind