Change lanes! 12 container ships left the Red Sea due to terrorist threats
According to analyst Alphaliner, at least a dozen container ships have been diverted from the Red Sea to avoid possible attacks by Houthi militias on the longer route through the Cape of Good Hope.
Initially, attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, including hijackings and missile strikes, targeted ships linked to Israel.Recent incidents, such as the drone attack on the container ship 9 chartered by Orient Overseas (OOCL), are not currently linked to Israel.
Alphaliner said in its weekly report that as of Dec. 4, about a dozen container ships had been diverted from the Suez Canal and rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope, a much longer route.Six more ships are expected to follow suit.
"Among the vessels that have already started diverting, there are three 4,250 teu vessels, three 5,000-6,000 teu vessels, four 15,000 teu vessels and one 19,000 teu vessel," the newsletter said.
Both Maersk and Estar have said publicly that they are relocating some of their ships from the area.
On the voyage from Shanghai to Rotterdam, a detour through the Cape of Good Hope at 18 knots would increase the transit time from 25 days to 33 days.
Alphaliner commented that it remains to be seen whether shipping companies will deploy additional tonnage or skip some port calls on affected services.
