Red Sea container transits hit post-crisis high as ONE sends FE1 and IOX back via Suez
314 boxship crossings of Bab el Mandeb in September, led by ships of 7,000 TEU and above; 44% sailed dark
Containership crossings of the Bab el Mandeb Strait rose to 314 in September, the highest monthly count since Houthi attacks on shipping began in late 2023, as more carriers move Asia-Europe services from the Cape of Good Hope back to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The total was 14.6% above August and 64.4% above September 2025, vessel-tracking data show.
The growth came from larger ships. Vessels of 7,000 TEU and above made 124 crossings in September and accounted for 62.5% of the month-on-month increase. The week of 21 to 27 September was the busiest in five weeks with 85 transits, 34 of them by ships of at least 7,000 TEU and 12 by ships of 4,000 to 6,999 TEU. Linerlytica separately counted that week as the busiest for containership traffic through the canal since 2024, with 30 ships of more than 4,000 TEU.
Dark transits, with AIS switched off, made up 139 passages or 44.3% of the September total, and 108 of them involved ships of at least 7,000 TEU. With most of those sailings by ships of the major lines, the concentration is a further sign that the large carriers are speeding up their return. The provisional count for 28 September to 4 October stands at 67 and is expected to rise as dark voyages are confirmed. The return continues although a small craft fired on the containership CUL Klang in the southern Red Sea on 7 October.
Which services are coming back?
The Premier Alliance of Ocean Network Express, HMM and Yang Ming will route two Asia-North Europe services through the Red Sea in both directions, whereas many Asia-Europe loops have so far returned to Suez for eastbound voyages only. ONE's Southeast Asia-North Europe FE1 loop switches with the 8,110 TEU ONE Continuity, due to make her first westbound Suez transit on 9 November, and its round trip falls by two weeks to 11. The Indian Subcontinent-North Europe IOX service follows with the 7,164 TEU ONE Reliability, with a first westbound transit planned for 17 November and the round trip cut from 13 weeks to 10.
Last month Gemini Cooperation partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd rerouted three more Asia-Europe services, the AE12, AE11 and AE5, deployed with 41 ships of between 14,100 and 20,500 TEU. Cosco Shipping made its first westbound Suez transit in more than two years on 4 October with the 24,188 TEU OOCL Spain, after nine eastbound voyages via Suez since mid-September. By Linerlytica's count ONE joins CMA CGM, Maersk, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd and Cosco; Evergreen, Yang Ming and HMM have yet to send their own ships back.
What does it mean for the market?
Linerlytica estimates that more than 140 containerships with a combined capacity of over 2m TEU have returned to the Suez route since May, and Maritime Strategies International puts the share of Asia-Europe sailings now using the Red Sea at about 35%. Linerlytica's market barometer has turned negative for the first time since January 2026, as TEU-mile growth slipped below supply growth with fewer Cape diversions and Golden Week blank sailings in China. Almost 200,000 TEU of newbuildings was delivered in September and no ships were deleted from the fleet.
This story is part of the Maritime Briefing of 13 October 2026.
