Middle East Situation: Maersk Reroutes ME11 and MECL Service Around The Cape of Good Hope

Chennai:

Port Wings News Network:

Due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East region following the escalating military conflict, shipping major Maersk, in close coordination with its security partners, has decided to “pause future Trans-Suez sailings” through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the time being.

According to an advisory, until further, all sailings on the ME11 (Middle East-India to Mediterranean) and MECL (Middle East-India to East Coast US) services will be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope. 

“The safety of our crews, vessels and customers’ cargo remains our key priority and we will continue to monitor the situation closely and take all needed actions. We remain committed to minimising the impact on our customers’ supply chains and will continue to keep them updated on the situation,” added the advisory.

Once the situation stabilises and the security conditions again permit, we will continue to prioritise the Trans-Suez route for ME11 and MECL services as it is the fastest, most sustainable and most efficient way for us to serve our customers, said the note. However, acceptance for cargo to the Middle East area remains open.

Sailing through the Strait of Hormuz

“The safety of our crews, vessels and customers’ cargo remains our key priority. We are suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice. As a result, services calling ports in the Arabian Gulf may experience delays, rerouting, or schedule adjustments,” further added the company advisory. 

Possible disruption to Maersk services in UAE, Oman and Qatar

In another advisory, Maersk stated that: “We are following the escalating military conflict in the Middle East very closely, and we are coordinating with our security partners on all operations in the area. The safety of our people, assets and customers’ cargo remain our key priority and we will continue to monitor the situation and take all needed actions.”

“Due to the current situation in the UAE, Oman and in Qatar, you may experience some disruptions in our services. Our warehousing facilities in UAE will be closed on Monday, 02 March 2026 as a precautionary measure and following the government shelter guidance. Our airline and landside partners are also experiencing disruption to services which may have a knock-on impact on our operations.”

“In line with shelter guidance from local government, we will close our offices in these locations until further notice to all but essential staff. We remain fully available online and via phone and will do our utmost to mitigate the impact on our customers’ supply chains, we have activated contingency plans where required.”