Two leading container lines within the Ocean Alliance have confirmed that selected eastbound sailings from Europe to Asia will once again transiting the Suez Canal and Red Sea, marking a notable shift in global shipping patterns.

CMA CGM and OOCL have both recently confirmed selected eastbound services will travel through the region, representing the clearest move yet toward re-establishing traditional trade lanes after Houthi attacks triggered widespread diversions nearly two years ago.

While carriers have stopped short of reinstating the route for westbound Asia-to-Europe services, even a partial return is delivering measurable benefits. By avoiding the Cape of Good Hope on one leg of the journey, round-trip transit times on affected services are being cut by as much as seven days.

CMA CGM led the way last month, becoming the first major carrier to resume Red Sea transits since the security situation deteriorated. Building on that initial step, the Ocean Alliance has now confirmed that its NEU4 service from Southampton will return to Asia via the Suez Canal, a move that reflects increasing confidence in both safety conditions and operational viability.

These operational changes follow a significant humanitarian development in the region. Eleven seafarers, detained since a July attack that resulted in four fatalities and the sinking of their vessel, were recently released by Houthi forces. The crew members, from India and the Philippines, reached Oman safely last week and are now preparing to return home.

Despite this progress, many shipping lines remain cautious and continue to rule out a full-scale resumption of Red Sea transits in the near term. Nevertheless, the decision to reintroduce eastbound sailings offers a strong signal that Asia–Europe container networks may slowly move back toward normal operating patterns in the coming months.

The Unique Forwarding team will continue to monitor developments closely and provide updates as and when the situation evolves.