This report examines the ongoing recovery of deep-sea traffic through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb strait, and what it means for carriers and shippers planning their next tender.
Powered by Xeneta's global schedule and capacity dataset, it provides a clear view of which trade lanes are returning to Suez routing, which carriers are leading the shift, and how reliable the recovery signals really are.
Topics covered include:
- How feeder and regional carriers kept the Red Sea connected through the diversion years (2024–2025)
- Which trade lanes and carriers are returning to Suez routing, and how capacity compares to pre-crisis levels
- Transit time and reliability differences between strings still running via the Cape and those back on Suez
- The sequence of carrier returns so far in 2026, and what unplanned "inducement" calls signal about future moves
- Three changes to make before your next tender: naming the string, planning around arrival waves, and not pricing in 2027 assumptions too early
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