MSC is expanding its Zephyr service in the Red Sea, replacing four 4,800 TEU vessels with seven 16,000 TEU ships to enhance capacity.
The world's largest container shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), has decided to expand its Zephyr service in the Red Sea. The company will replace its existing vessels with a capacity of 4,800 TEU with container ships of approximately 16,000 TEU capacity. As part of the new route arrangement, the ports of Jeddah and King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia will be included in the service.
As the return to the Red Sea in global container shipping accelerates, MSC is preparing to significantly increase its shipping capacity in the region.
According to news dated November 8, 2026, based on data from the maritime research organization DynaLiners, MSC will restructure the Zephyr service to expand its operations in the Red Sea.
The company’s current service connecting Colombo with Djibouti will see changes in both the port calls and the capacities of the vessels used.
Replacing Four Small Ships with Seven Large Ships
According to MSC's new plan, the four container ships operating in the Zephyr service, each with an average capacity of 4,800 TEU, will be replaced by seven larger vessels with a capacity of approximately 16,000 TEU each.
Thus, the total nominal carrying capacity of the vessels used in the service will increase from 19,200 TEU to approximately 112,000 TEU.
This change represents an increase of about 5.8 times in the total allocated ship capacity.
However, this figure refers to the total nominal capacity of the vessels that will operate in the service, not the amount of containers that can be transported weekly.
Jeddah and King Abdullah Ports Added to the Route
With the new arrangement, MSC will include two major container ports on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia in the Zephyr service.
The Port of Salalah in Oman, which is currently part of the service, will be removed from the new port call schedule.
The new port rotation for the Zephyr service will be as follows:
Colombo (Sri Lanka) – Djibouti – King Abdullah Port (Saudi Arabia) – Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) – Colombo.
This change aims to enhance MSC's direct access to Saudi Arabian ports and strengthen container connections in the Red Sea.
Large Vessels Reappearing in the Red Sea
MSC's decision to increase capacity comes at a time when global container lines are gradually returning to the Red Sea and Suez Canal routes.
Due to security risks in the region, many container companies had redirected their vessels via the Cape of Good Hope starting from late 2023.
However, in 2026, some major carriers resumed Suez Canal transits on selected services following security assessments.
MSC also announced in an official statement on August 24, 2026, that Suez Canal transits would be gradually reinstated on selected East-West services.
The company stated that the safety of vessels and crew is a priority during this process, and conditions in the region will be closely monitored.
New Competition in Container Shipping
The increase in capacity in the Zephyr service indicates that MSC will allocate larger vessels to its shipping activities at the Red Sea ports of Saudi Arabia.
The inclusion of Jeddah and King Abdullah ports in the new service rotation is particularly significant for container shipping and transfer connections in the region.
However, the impact of the additional capacity on freight rates and port operations will depend on shipping demand and security conditions in the region.
Return to Suez Accelerating
In an assessment dated November 2, the maritime analysis organization Linerlytica noted that major container alliances and MSC are expected to make a more comprehensive return to the Suez Canal route by the first quarter of 2027.
The increase in services via the Red Sea could enhance vessel utilization efficiency by providing shorter transit times compared to the Cape of Good Hope.
MSC's plan to transition to 16,000 TEU capacity vessels in the Zephyr service is also among the developments indicating a resurgence of large-tonnage container ships in the Red Sea.
The exact date for the implementation of the new service arrangement has not been disclosed in the news published as of November 8.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
