Danish shipping company Maersk has announced Friday changes to the route of its MECL service, which connects the Indian subcontinent with the east coast of the U.S.,  El Estrecho Digital reports.

This comes as Houthi army attacks continue on the Red Sea route, worrying the logistics sector and pushing container rates up. 

Vessels will now opt for an alternative route that includes the Cape of Good Hope. This modification maintains the scheduled stop at the Port of Algeciras.

The vessel "Maersk Columbus", which is currently at the APMT terminal in Algeciras, will be one of the first to undertake this new route, heading towards the port of Salalah via the aforementioned cape.

Related articles: Red Sea attacks push container rates further up

This itinerary alteration will also affect other vessels of the fleet such as the "Maersk Detroit", which is currently in Salalah and will also divert to the Cape of Good Hope, keeping its stop in Algeciras before continuing to the North American east coast. The vessels "Maersk Atlanta", "Maersk Pittsburgh", "Maersk Denver" and "Maersk Hartford" will follow a similar course.

The company has alerted its customers about possible delays in deliveries due to this route restructuring. 

In turn, Maersk has assured that it will provide updated information on alternative solutions and various options shortly, to meet the needs and minimize the inconvenience caused by this change in its maritime operations.