Maersk plans to have dozens of ships transit through the Suez Canal. By Reuters

© Reuters. Maersk’s logo is seen on a stored container in the Zona Franca, Barcelona, ​​Spain, on November 3, 2022. REUTERS/Albert Gea

OSLO (Reuters) – Denmark’s Maersk said on Wednesday dozens of container ships are scheduled to transit the Suez Canal and the Red Sea in the coming weeks, a further sign that global shipping companies are returning to the route.

That schedule is subject to change depending on specific contingency plans that may be developed in the coming days, the company said.

The world’s top shipping companies, including container giant Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, suspended use of the Red Sea route earlier this month after Yemen’s Houthi rebels began targeting ships and disrupting global trade.

Musk said on Dec. 24 that he was preparing to return to the Red Sea for both eastbound and westbound trips, citing the deployment of a U.S.-led military operation to protect shipping from Houthi attacks, but provided few details.

France’s CMA CGM also said Tuesday it was increasing the number of ships transiting the Suez Canal.

Among the ships listed in the Maersk advisory to customers on Wednesday was the Maren Maersk, which departs Tangiers on December 24 and is expected to arrive in Singapore on January 14, “via the Suez Canal. “It will continue.”

However, many ships are still scheduled to travel to Africa, the advisory said.

Starting December 19, Musk rerouted ships around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid attacks, charging customers extra fees and extending the time it takes to transport goods from Asia to Europe and the east coast of North America by several weeks. .

German rival Hapag-Lloyd still considers conditions too dangerous to transit the Suez Canal, a company spokesman said on Wednesday, adding that it would continue to reroute ships through the Cape of Good Hope.

“We are continuously assessing the situation and planning our next review for Friday,” the spokesperson said.