Update: the impact of the Middle East situation on your shipments

DSV is closely monitoring the escalating conflict in the Middle East and is coordinating all activities with our partners and the relevant local authorities. The safety of our employees, the integrity of our operations, and the continuity of our customers’ supply chains remain our highest priorities.

Situation air freight:

Airspace over large parts of the Middle East is currently closed: at present there are no outbound or inbound flights operating to or from Iran, Israel, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

As a result, international airlines have cancelled or rerouted flights to avoid high-risk areas. This may lead to extended transit times and adjusted service schedules. As the situation continues to evolve, flight schedules and route networks may change again at very short notice.

Customers should anticipate potential delays or even cancellations in the coming days and weeks, as well as capacity constraints and possible additional costs and surcharges.

Air freight bottlenecks Middle East:

• Airspace closed across large parts of the Middle East: at present, no inbound or outbound flights are operating to or from Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. 
• Significant impact on global air traffic: not only local flights are affected; international routes relying on regional transit hubs are also being restricted. 
• Reopening expected once the situation stabilizes: as soon as security conditions improve, airspace may gradually reopen. Until then, delays and alternative routings should be anticipated.

Global impact on air freight:

The current disruptions are also expected to have repercussions beyond the Middle East:

• Reduced global capacity: the repositioning of aircraft, longer flight paths and suspended services are placing pressure on available capacity across key trade lanes. 
• Far East & Europe trade lanes: capacity constraints are particularly expected on the Far East–Europe and Asia–Middle East corridors. 
• Rate volatility: due to limited capacity, we anticipate upward pressure on air freight rates. 
• War risk surcharges: airlines are introducing or revising surcharges for shipments routed via or near affected areas. 
• Aircraft fuel costs: rising geopolitical tensions may impact global oil markets, potentially leading to higher jet fuel prices and, consequently, increased fuel surcharges.

Situation ocean freight:

Several shipping lines have suspended sailings through the Strait of Hormuz until further notice due to security risks. This is affecting sailing schedules and may result in delays and diversions across various services.

Carriers calling at ports in the Arabian Gulf are adjusting their routes and schedules to safeguard the safety of their vessels and crews.

Customers should anticipate potential delays or even cancellations in the coming days and weeks, as well as capacity constraints and possible additional costs and surcharges.

Ocean freight bottlenecks Middle East:

• Closure of the Persian Gulf: the main access route to the Persian Gulf is currently blocked by the Iranian navy, with all vessel transits prohibited. 
• Jebel Ali (UAE) and Khalifa Port (Abu Dhabi): all vessel movements are currently suspended. Hapag-Lloyd, MSC and Maersk have temporarily halted all new bookings to and from these ports. 
• Dammam and Jubail (Saudi Arabia): these industrial hubs are currently at a standstill. Efforts are being made to move cargo by road to the Red Sea; however, available trucking capacity falls far short of handling these volumes. 
• Mina Sulman (Bahrain), Kuwait Port and Umm Qasr (Iraq): these ports are effectively landlocked, with no exit for vessels until the Strait of Hormuz reopens. 
• Red Sea and the Suez Canal: the Houthi movement in Yemen has officially ended the months-long ceasefire. Although sea lanes remain physically open, carriers are avoiding these ports to mitigate the risk of missile attacks. 
• Jeddah (Saudi Arabia): being bypassed by major shipping lines, which are opting instead for the route via the Cape of Good Hope. 
• Port Said and Sokhna (Egypt): the number of scheduled port calls has declined. Should this trend continue, revenues from the Suez Canal are expected to decrease by more than 55% this month. 
• Djibouti Port: a critical gateway for East Africa and the Red Sea, now considered structurally vulnerable to potential Iranian or Houthi retaliatory actions. 
• Aqaba (Jordan): increasingly isolated as transit routes become uninsurable.

Global impact on ocean freight:

• Congestion: major ports such as Mundra Port and Nhava Sheva are expected to face backlogs as vessels no longer arrive according to their usual staggered schedules. Instead, ships are likely to arrive in clusters, potentially overwhelming terminals and causing delays in loading and discharge operations. 
• Port of Colombo: specifically designed as a transshipment hub where containers are efficiently transferred between vessels, making it an attractive discharge location for carriers. If ships are unable to access ports in the Gulf region, containers may be offloaded in Colombo as an alternative. However, the port is currently operating at or near full capacity, which may result in additional delays for cargo routed through the region. 
• Delays: several liner services between the Indian Subcontinent, the United States and the Mediterranean are expected to incur delays of approximately two to three weeks due to diversions to avoid the region. Services bound for Europe are also being routed via the Cape of Good Hope, resulting in similar delays. As many of these services connect with larger transatlantic loops, delays are likely to cascade into subsequent sailings destined for Europe and North America. Certain services are also being rerouted via South Africa, further extending transit times. 
• Shortage of empty containers: with vessels spending longer at sea and facing congestion at ports, empty containers are taking longer to return to the locations where they are required. This may lead to equipment shortages and further disruption across supply chains. 
• Port of Durban and Tanger Med: these hubs have already been experiencing backlogs and infrastructure adjustments for several months. Now serving as key service and transshipment points for vessels avoiding the Red Sea route, existing delays risk being further exacerbated as the conflict continues.

Key action points DSV:

DSV has activated comprehensive contingency measures to safeguard service continuity, mitigate capacity risks and support our customers as effectively as possible under these exceptional market conditions. DSV is doing so by:

• Protecting and optimising the use of all secured capacity allocations wherever possible.
• Actively diversifying carrier options through alternative gateways and routings to reduce risk exposure. 
• Safeguarding the continuity of our services on critical trade lanes from the Far East. 
• Supporting your shipments to and from the Middle East through flexible and alternative routing solutions. 
• Proactively informing customers about rate developments, surcharges and other market-related changes.

What actions should you take?

To support you in managing the current disruptions and safeguarding the continuity of your supply chain, we recommend the following actions:

• Confirm bookings as early as possible to secure available capacity. 
• Check with your insurance provider whether any restrictions or exclusions apply to shipments to or via the affected region. 
• Where possible, consider flexible routing options and alternative transit times.
• Take potential congestion at alternative ports of call into account when planning inventory levels. 
• Contact your local DSV representative for shipment-specific advice.

Customers with air or ocean freight cargo already in transit, or with planned shipments to or from the region, are advised to get in touch for guidance tailored to their specific consignments.

We will continue to keep you informed as the situation develops. For further information or assistance regarding your shipments, please contact your local DSV representative.