Four more Gemini services return to Suez, with Tanjung Pelepas among first departures

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are moving four more Gemini Cooperation services — AE5, AE11, AE12 and ME2 — from Cape of Good Hope routing to the Suez Canal.

What is changing

The carriers' customer advisory confirms the AE5, AE11, AE12 and ME2 services will transit via the trans-Suez route instead of sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, joining the AE15 and AE19 services already using the Suez routing.

Why Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) matters

The first vessel on the revised AE11 rotation, Antonia Maersk, is due to depart Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) on 19 September. The first vessel on the revised AE5 rotation, Marchen Maersk, is due to depart PTP on 21 September.

What the carriers say

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd say the Suez routing should offer more efficient transit times than sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. They add that further routing changes remain dependent on the security situation in the Middle East and the Red Sea, and that crew, vessel and cargo safety remain the top priority.

What West Malaysian operators should check

Exporters and forwarders routing cargo through Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas should confirm individual sailing schedules and booking cut-offs on the AE5 and AE11 services rather than assume the wider Asia-Europe network has fully normalised.

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