- Delivery alliances propose alternative strategy for Houthi situation
International shipping companies Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk have proposed an alternative shipping route for their proposed partnership, bypassing the Red Sea. This was disclosed by the firms themselves in their statements. The motivation behind this move stems from the hostile actions by the Houthis in the Red Sea. The companies have introduced two possibilities. It's been announced that they will make a decision in October about which route they'll opt for.
German firm Hapag-Lloyd and Danish corporation Maersk, popularly known as "Gemini Cooperation", announced their alliance at the beginning of the year. "Gemini" signifies "twins" in both Latin and English. The purpose of this alliance is to achieve a schedule reliability rate over 90 percent. Maersk ranks second globally in the shipping industry, while Hapag-Lloyd places fifth. This partnership is set to commence in February 2025.
Maersk's CEO, Vincent Clerc, emphasized that the goal of high schedule reliability remains unaltered, irrespective of the chosen route. The deployment of ships varies according to the plan: around 300 if they navigate the Red Sea, and roughly 340 if they sail around it.
Since the inception of the Gaza conflict, the Houthis, who hold anti-Israel sentiments, have been targeting commercial ships near Yemen's coast. The Houthis claim that their intention is to bring a halt to Israel's military operations.
The shipping Companies Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk are considering altering their shipping plans due to the hostile actions in the Red Sea, potentially opting for a route bypassing it in October. Regardless of the chosen route, Maersk's aim to achieve a schedule reliability rate over 90% remains unchanged.
