Shipping Arabia, November 6, 2026 – Taiwan’s Yang Ming Marine Transport has announced plans to resume its MD1 and MS2 container shipping services between Asia and the Mediterranean via the Red Sea and Suez Canal. The carrier aims to improve transit time competitiveness and supply chain efficiency by restoring the services to their traditional shipping routes.
The revised schedules will bring both services back through the Suez Canal, with initial departures from China planned for November 2026. The announcement marks another development in the gradual restoration of container shipping services along the Red Sea and Suez Canal corridor.
Yang Ming Confirms MD1 and MS2 Sailing Schedules
Under the revised schedule, the MD1 service is expected to resume its traditional route with a departure from Ningbo, China, on November 10, 2026. The service is scheduled to reach Egypt’s Damietta Port on December 7.
Meanwhile, the MS2 service is scheduled to depart Qingdao, China, on November 16, with an expected arrival at Greece’s Port of Piraeus on December 28. The service will also operate through the Suez Canal as part of the revised routing arrangements.
Both services will restore the Red Sea and Suez Canal corridor as a connection between Asian and Mediterranean ports. Yang Ming expects the changes to strengthen transit time competitiveness and improve the efficiency of its shipping network.
However, the Taiwanese carrier emphasized that actual sailing schedules and transit times remain subject to operational conditions. Further adjustments may follow as shipping schedules and operating circumstances evolve.
Container Shipping Capacity Returns to the Suez Canal
Yang Ming’s announcement comes amid a broader shift in container shipping routes between the Far East and Europe.
According to maritime consultancy data cited by Al Mal, approximately 63% of the capacity deployed by the world’s 10 largest container shipping lines on Far East–Europe services had returned to routes incorporating the Red Sea and Suez Canal by mid-October 2026.
The figures reflect the gradual restoration of container shipping capacity to the traditional Suez Canal corridor as carriers revise their routing arrangements.
Industry reports cited in the article indicate that this transition could have significant implications for global shipping operations. In particular, the return to Suez Canal transits offers the potential to shorten sailing distances and transit times compared with the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope.
For Yang Ming, restoring the MD1 and MS2 services through the Red Sea and Suez Canal forms part of this wider shift toward traditional Asia–Mediterranean shipping routes. Nevertheless, the actual benefits and sailing schedules will depend on operating conditions as the revised services take effect.
Source: Al Mal News