Logistics (MENA) 
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MENA <> India Corridor 
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The Middle East ranked at the bottom of Xeneta’s globalshippingschedule reliabilityranking in 2025, bearing the brunt of ongoing divisions in the Red Sea. The region ended the year with the poorest on-time performance, with a mere 28% on-time arrival rate, shedding some 11% over the course of the year.
The Europe-Asia lane was also among the hardest hit by Red Sea disruptions, shedding some 22% of its on-time arrival rate over the year to score 29%.
On a global level, the picture becomes more complex. Network optimization moves by shippers are driving reliability gains in some shipping lanes, while persistent geopolitical disruptions are hurting other areas. On average, global on-time arrivals climbed 13.3% y-o-y to 34%, up from 30% in 2024. US-bound lanes topped the rankings and saw an overall improvement in on-time arrivals, in large part driven by operational efficiency from the Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd shipping alliance, the Gemini Cooperation.
METHODOLOGY- The report is based on comprehensive coverage of vessel arrivals across all global trades. It tracks specific movements on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis to identify patterns. The methodology taps into three primary metrics to define reliability: on-time arrivals, average days delayed, and canceled sailings.
Why it matters: The data suggest that even when there are minor improvements in delay times, it may not be enough to move the needle on overall reliability. While Middle East delays improved slightly — falling by 0.5 days — the lane remained at the bottom of the global pack, highlighting that geographical proximity to disruptions outweighs gains from carrier efficiency.
What’s next? The focus for 2026 shifts to whether the industry can move toward the 44% reliability levels seen in 2023 or will slide back toward the 25% seen during the pandemic year of 2022. With only a trickle of the usual Suez Canal transits currently scheduled and carriersrethinkingtheir decision to return, a measurable recovery in Middle East reliability is far from certain. Success in the coming year will depend on which carriers can maintain consistency despite major uncertainties, ranging from tariff wars to the fragility of regional ceasefires.
