Maersk Halts All Red Sea Transits 'Until Further Notice'

Maersk is the world's second-largest container line by capacity. File Image / Pixabay

Container line AP Moller-Maersk has decided to halt all Red Sea voyages until further notice, after an attempt to resume the transits ended on Sunday with one of its ships being attacked twice in the space of a day.

The company is pausing Red Sea transits indefinitely while it assesses the security situation, it said in an advisory note to customers on Tuesday.

"Following the 30 December incident involving our vessel, Maersk Hangzhou, we have decided to pause all transits through the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden until further notice," the company said in the note.

"An investigation into the incident is ongoing and we will continue to pause all cargo movement through the area while we further assess the constantly evolving situation.

"In cases where it makes most sense for our customers, vessels will be rerouted and continue their journey around the Cape of Good Hope."

The company had provided an updated vessel schedule on Monday evening suggesting 38 of its vessels would voyage via the Red Sea and Suez Canal over the next two months, but this plan has now changed.

Maersk announced a week ago that it would resume using the Red Sea and Suez Canal after the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian to improve maritime security in the region, while other leading shipping companies have decided the route is still too risky.

But on Sunday the company said it would pause Red Sea transits for 48 hours after one of its ships came under attack twice on a single day.

The rerouting of ships away from the Red Sea and on longer voyages around Africa is likely to deliver a significant boost to global bunker demand.

Maersk is the world's second-largest container line by capacity.