The Suez Canal just saw a significant milestone: the transit of the Astrid Maersk. This isn’t just another ship passing through; it is the largest Maersk container vessel to use the waterway in two years, signaling a potential shift in trade lanes.
This voyage marks the official return of the ME-11 service to the Suez Canal. Operated by the “Gemini Cooperation” (the alliance between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd), this service connects India/Middle East with the Mediterranean.
Since mid-February, the alliance has rerouted this specific loop back to the Canal, abandoning the longer, costlier route around the Cape of Good Hope.
The mega vessel measures 350 meters in length with a beam of 54 meters and draft of 14.8 meters. It has a gross tonnage of 185,000 tons.
This is the third Maersk vessel to transit since the group signed a new strategic partnership with the SCA, following the Maersk Sebarok in December and Maersk Denver in January.