Maersk announced today, Tuesday, that its ships, which had previously been scheduled to sail through the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, will now reroute to go around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope due to attacks on vessels in the region. According to a statement released by the company, Maersk suspended operations for about 20 ships until yesterday, Monday, with half of these vessels waiting east of the Gulf of Aden while the other half is waiting south of the Suez Canal in the Red Sea or to the north of it in the Mediterranean.
A Maersk container ship was the target of a failed missile attack on Thursday while en route from Salalah in Oman to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, prompting the company to suspend its services to the Red Sea on Friday.
Maersk stated in the release, "We are pleased to see joint efforts in the field of international maritime security and to boost capabilities in the region to find a solution that enables a return to transit in the near future through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Suez Canal."
They added, "At the same time, routing ships around the Cape of Good Hope will yield faster and more predictable outcomes for our customers and their supply chains." The company noted that future maritime routes planned through the area will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine if adjustments are necessary.
