When a rocket approaches a ship, one can do little about it
Hapag-Lloyd avoids sailing through the Red Sea due to Huthi threat. Most attacks there are carried out by drones, according to Hapag-L Lloyd CEO Habben Jansen in ntv interview. The vessels have to take a large detour.
Hapag-Lloyd does not plan to return ships to the Red Sea yet. Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen told ntv that he hopes the region will be navigable again by the end of the year. However, he also noted that an exact forecast is not possible.
Since attacks by Huthi rebels from Yemen on merchant ships in the Red Sea, Hapag-Lloyd and other shipping companies have been avoiding the Suez Canal since mid-December and taking a detour via the southern tip of Africa instead. This results in delays and higher costs, but also higher freight rates, i.e. transport fees.
Despite the presence of warships, Huthi attacks continue, according to Habben Jansen. The safety of the crew is a top priority for Hapag-Lloyd. "If that means that the cargo is a week or ten days later, then that's just how it is."
Regarding how one should imagine a Huthi attack on ships, the CEO of the shipping company said that in most cases drones would attack. A fire broke out on a Hapag-Lloyd ship in December of the previous year. The fire was extinguished.
Habben Jansen did not want to disclose specific measures Hapag-Lloyd takes to protect crews from dangers. However, he noted that there are limited options: "If a rocket hits a ship, there is not much that can be done."
Hapag-Lloyd, like other shipping companies, has been avoiding using the Red Seadue to the ongoing threats from the Huthi rebels. Despite the deployment of warships, these attacks by drones continue to pose a significant risk.
