The newly-formed Gemini Cooperation alliance of Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will bypass the Red Sea due to security concerns. The reason for this decision is security concerns in the Red Sea, where ships have been under attack by Iran-backed Houthis since 2023.
The Gemini alliance will need approximately 340 vessels, compared to the 300 ships that would have been enough for routes across the Red Sea. The longer route also demands more container capacity, with around 3.7 million TEU required for the Cape of Good Hope route versus 3.4 million TEU for the Red Sea route.
Both carriers have stated that they will revert to the Red Sea route once it is safe to do so.
Source: trans.info