According to Alphaliner, 63% of capacity on the Far East–Europe trade is now deployed on services that have resumed at least some transits through the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
Its survey of the ten largest container carriers, covering 15 September–15 October 2026, recorded Red Sea transits on 24 of 46 direct services. Services using the route accounted for 70% of capacity on Far East–Mediterranean trades and 58% on Far East–North Europe routes.
The return is gradual, not universal. Some services sail through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait towards Europe but return to Asia around the Cape of Good Hope. The headline figure therefore does not mean that 63% of all sailings are passing through Suez in both directions.
Fuel costs are also influencing decisions. Alphaliner reported very-low-sulphur fuel oil prices of $881 per tonne in Singapore — up 97% year on year, strengthening the financial incentive to avoid longer detours.
For shippers, the priority is to check the details of each booking. Confirm the planned route, expected transit time and applicable surcharges rather than assuming every service has switched back.
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