ISMAILIA, Egypt — German shipping group Hapag-Lloyd is considering restoring additional services through the Suez Canal as maritime security conditions permit, raising prospects for a recovery in Egypt’s transit revenue, its Southern Europe regional chief, Juan Pablo Richards, said during talks with Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairman Osama Rabie, according to an authority statement issued on Wednesday.
The expansion builds on the Gemini Cooperation network operated with Maersk. Hapag-Lloyd’s October 12 operational update identified six services routed through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, although most of its wider network continues sailing around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
Richards referred to two existing Asia-linked services during the meeting, but the authority’s account did not reconcile that narrower figure with the carrier’s broader network update.
The next scheduled expansion includes the SE1 Asia–Mediterranean service, with the Umm Qarn due to depart Malaysia’s Tanjung Pelepas port on October 27 before transiting Suez. Hapag-Lloyd said each passage remains subject to security reviews and naval protection.
Rabie said the canal was ready to receive returning services following upgrades to its maritime operations and fleet. The discussions also explored potential captain-training cooperation between the SCA’s Maritime Training and Simulation Academy and the Damietta Alliance container terminal, in which Hapag-Lloyd is a major investor.
Restoring more services could strengthen Egypt’s foreign-currency earnings and shorten Asia–Europe shipping journeys. Yet the pace of recovery remains uncertain: carriers continue to weigh Suez’s time and fuel savings against security risks and the operational costs of rerouting their fleets.
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