AAL Kembla diverted away from the Red Sea

Increased threat levels in the Bab-el-Manded Strait and the recent sinking of a commercial ship by the Houthis have forced AAL Shipping to reroute one of its multipurpose heavy-lift vessels away from the region. The company has made a decision based on the lack of suitable security measures to ensure the protection of the vessel’s crew, cargo and the vessel itself. 

AAL Kembla is a 2011-built A-class multipurpose heavy-lift vessel capable of accommodating all cargo types with a copious intake of 40,000 cbm. In combination with a 700 mt max lift, five large cargo holds, two flexible tween decks and a 2,700 square metre weather deck. AAL noted that the vessel was scheduled to pass the Red Sea, however, not it will be re-routed around the Cape of Good Hope.

The company added that AAL Kobe, also scheduled to sail through the Red Sea is under review. “We are currently in liaison with security authorities,” AAL said in an update, adding that any changes to the vessel’s schedule will be communicated beforehand.

“We are monitoring the situation closely and remain in constant contact with our teams and partners in the region, to ensure AAL’s sailings strategy continues to reflect the standards of safety and efficiency that our shippers demand,” the company said.

In a recent comment to Project Cargo Journal, Christophe Grammare, Managing Director at AAL Shipping, said, “Scheduling flexibility issues are confirmed by one of the major heavy lift project cargo carriers, AAL Shipping. In addition to extended transit times, which can be an issue for some project cargoes and their deadlines, rerouting is also reducing the effectiveness of one’s fleet. “As the vessels are deployed for a longer period of time, their availability to perform more voyages is restricted. This is being felt in terms of tonnage availability in the MPP/heavy lift sector. This imbalance – with effective supply reduced, and demand slightly on the rise – is driving freight prices up.”