For over a year, most commercial ships steered clear of the Suez Canal due to the Red Sea being ‘unsafe’ to do so. This has taken ocean carriers to take a longer detour around the Cape of Good Hope instead of passing through the Red Sea.

Recent news was reported of the possibility of ships transiting through the Red Sea again. However, some ocean carriers, including Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk, have stated they will only resume Red Sea (Suez Canal) transits when security conditions improve and that no changes will be made as of now, per the JOC. The carriers emphasized that it remains too early to determine when it would be safe to return to the region. They will continue monitoring the situation closely.