Maersk has completed its first transit through the Red Sea and Suez corridor in nearly two years, sending the Maersk Sebarok through the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait in what the carrier described as a cautious test run as it evaluates whether security conditions support a broader return to the trans‑Suez route.

On December 18-19, 2025, the Singapore-flagged vessel currently operating on Maersk's MECL-service transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea.

"As we wrote earlier, we are closely monitoring developments in the Red Sea area and exploring opportunities for a safe and sustainable return to East-West Suez transit. We can now share that an initial transit has successfully been completed," the Danish integrated container logistics company, said in its customer advisory to give update on the developments in the Red Sea.

Maersk said the safety of its crew, vessels and cargo remains of utmost importance to the carrier, and the highest possible safety measures were applied during transit.

"Whilst this is a significant step forward, it does not mean that we are at a point where we are considering a wider East-West network change back to the trans-Suez corridor," Maersk said.

"Assuming that security thresholds continue to be met, we are considering continuing our stepwise approach towards gradually resuming navigation along the East-West corridor via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea," it added.

"The first step is this initial sailing, followed by a limited number of additional trans-Suez sailings. However, there are no planned sailings currently," Maersk further said.

The shipping line said it will continue to update customers on the situation and provide new information on its Red Sea webpage.