Attacks in Red Sea force Maersk to reroute vessels around Africa
It will be faster and safer to send vessels via SA, says Danish shipping company
19 December 2023 - 11:21
byLouise Breusch Rasmussen
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Containers are seen on the Maersk's container ship Maersk Gibraltar at the APM Terminals in the port of Algeciras, Spain on January 19. Picture: REUTERS/JON NAZCA
Copenhagen — Danish shipping company Maersk said on Tuesday that vessels due to sail through the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden will be rerouted around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope due to attacks on vessels in the area.
By Monday, Maersk had paused the voyages of about 20 ships, half of which were waiting east of the Gulf of Aden and the rest south of the Suez Canal in the Red Sea or north of it in the Mediterranean Sea, the company said in a statement.
A Maersk container ship was targeted but not hit by a missile on Thursday while en route from Salalah in Oman to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and the company on Friday decided to halt all its vessels bound for the Red Sea.
“We are pleased to see ... joint efforts on international maritime security and capacity building in the area to bring forward a solution enabling a return to transit the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden area and the Suez Canal in the near future,” Maersk said in a statement.
“Meanwhile, routing vessels via the Cape of Good Hope will ultimately deliver faster and more predictable outcomes for our customers and their supply chains,” Maersk added.
Future sailings planned through the area would be assessed case by case to determine whether adjustments are necessary, the shipping group said.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Attacks in Red Sea force Maersk to reroute vessels around Africa
It will be faster and safer to send vessels via SA, says Danish shipping company
Copenhagen — Danish shipping company Maersk said on Tuesday that vessels due to sail through the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden will be rerouted around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope due to attacks on vessels in the area.
By Monday, Maersk had paused the voyages of about 20 ships, half of which were waiting east of the Gulf of Aden and the rest south of the Suez Canal in the Red Sea or north of it in the Mediterranean Sea, the company said in a statement.
A Maersk container ship was targeted but not hit by a missile on Thursday while en route from Salalah in Oman to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and the company on Friday decided to halt all its vessels bound for the Red Sea.
“We are pleased to see ... joint efforts on international maritime security and capacity building in the area to bring forward a solution enabling a return to transit the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden area and the Suez Canal in the near future,” Maersk said in a statement.
“Meanwhile, routing vessels via the Cape of Good Hope will ultimately deliver faster and more predictable outcomes for our customers and their supply chains,” Maersk added.
Future sailings planned through the area would be assessed case by case to determine whether adjustments are necessary, the shipping group said.
Reuters
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