Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd Launch ‘Gemini Cooperation’

In February 2025, Maersk A/S (Maersk), a company of A.P. Moller-Maersk, and Hapag-Lloyd AG (Hapag-Lloyd) will start their operational collaboration under the ‘Gemini Cooperation’. The goal is to create a flexible and interconnected service network in maritime transport with industry-leading schedule reliability of over 90 percent.

(Hamburg/Copenhagen) Since the announcement of the new long-term cooperation in January 2024, both companies have been working on the details of the operational collaboration, which envisions a joint sea service network in East-West traffic.

About five months before the official operational start of the ‘Gemini Cooperation’, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are now presenting further details of the schedules and explaining how the network has developed since the announcement in January 2024. Due to the ongoing uncertainties in the Red Sea, the companies are currently planning with two different networks and are presenting an alternative route around the Cape of Good Hope.

“Reliability, connectivity, and sustainability are the key terms that describe the networks we are presenting today. We are pleased to provide our customers with full transparency on how we will deliver this world-leading service network in maritime transport, allowing them to start planning despite the extremely dynamic situation,” says Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.

In October 2024, the two partners of the ‘Gemini Cooperation’ will announce which of the route networks they will activate in February 2025. “We look forward to the launch of our completely redesigned route network next year, and we can once again confirm that our goal regarding schedule reliability remains unchanged, regardless of which network we will implement. We are convinced that our collaboration will raise the standards of reliability for the benefit of our customers and set a new, very high standard in the industry,” says Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk.

Extensive Network of 30 Flexible Shuttle Services

Depending on which network the cooperation starts, the new system consists of 27 or 29 efficient mainliner services, complemented by an extensive network of 30 flexible, intraregional shuttle services. The cooperation will thus consist of either 300 or 340 ships.

Photo: © Maersk