Maersk diverting ships away from Red Sea amid safety concerns

COPENHAGEN : Two container vessels operated by AP Moller-Maersk have been diverted from their scheduled routes, the company has said. The deteriorating security situation in the Middle East Gulf and Red Sea region is beginning to hit container supply chains. 

The carrier told customers: “This decision has been made with careful consideration of various factors, prioritising the safety of crew, the vessel and your cargo. While we strive for seamless operations, these circumstances have necessitated this deviation from our usual route.

“Regrettably, the temporary route diversion is anticipated to result in a delay exceeding one week from the initial delivery schedule.”

The temporary route diversion has involved Lisa coming from India (diverted to Salalah) and Maersk Pangani coming from Cape Town and redirected to Mundra.

An advisory from the company cites “unforseen and unavoidable circumstances” as the reason for the change.

The equasis shipping database lists Lisa as controlled by XT Management based in Haifa.

Threats to shipping linked to Israeli interests have increased since the outbreak of hostilities between the Middle Eastern state and militant group Hamas.

Rising tension in the region has extended the threat to international shipping, according to maritime risk consultant Dryad Global.

“Beyond the immediate risks to Israeli-linked ships, there exists a residual risk, which includes indirect targeting and misidentification,” Dryad said in its latest advisory. The report cites the 2021/2022 Tyndall incident targetting a ship with no active Israeli links.

“While Israeli-linked vessels face direct threats, the risk extends to a wider range of vessels due to the potential for misidentification and indirect targeting,” Dryad added.

The latest attack in the region saw reports of missiles fired towards chemicals tanker Central Park.