News / Maersk suspends vessel calls at Haifa as regional tension rises

Photo: VesselFinder

Maersk Line has become the first container line to reorganise its services to Israel, announcing it is to cease calling at the port of Haifa in response to the country’s escalating conflict with Iran.

“After carefully analysing threat risk reports regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran – particularly the potential risks of calling Israeli ports and their implications for the safety of our crews, Maersk has made the decision to temporarily suspend vessel calls at the port of Haifa, Israel, for Maersk-operated vessels,” the carrier told customers.

According to the eeSea liner database, the Danish carrier has two services that would call at Haifa – the intra-Europe SLN, that runs between east and west Mediterranean ports, and the Gemini Shuttle 10, that operates a Port Said-Haifa-Iskenderun-Port Said loop to connect with the Gemini Cooperation’s Mediterranean deepsea strings.

The SLN service deploys four vessels of an average 2,400 teu capacity. One of these, the Maersk Norfolk, was due to call at Haifa today, according to the proforma schedule. However, according to VesselFinder AIS data, it is now heading to the Israeli port of Ashdod and expected to arrive on Sunday evening.

The Gemini Shuttle 10 service is operated by one vessel – the 4,250 teu Lisa – which was due to call at Haifa on Monday. According to AI, it is now en route to Port Said, due to arrive tomorrow after departing Iskenderun yesterday.

The Lisa was only deployed on the string at the beginning of this month, after Hapag-Lloyd’s 2,700 teu GH Foehn was switched to the Gemini Europe Shuttle 11 service between Izmir and Port Said.

Should Maersk’s Gemini partner, Hapag-Lloyd, be comfortable with continuing to call at Haifa, potentially these two vessels could be swapped, as the GH Foehn is currently at berth in Port Said.

Or, the rerouting of the Maersk Norfolk could indicate that Maersk intends to offer Ashdod as an alternative to Israeli shippers. The port hosts the Gemini Euro Shuttle 10 string, which deploys a single vessel on a Port Said-Ashdod pendulum loop, the 1,700 teu Maersk Valparaiso.

“We are in close contact with customers who may be impacted by this decision, and are working to provide alternative transport solutions to minimise disruption,” the Maersk advisory added.