The large container ship Flying Fish 1 has successfully completed its first Arctic transit, traveling from St. Petersburg to China in just over three weeks, which is about two weeks faster than the standard route through the Suez Canal. The ship is expected to arrive in Shanghai on September 26 and is operated by EZ Safetrans Logistics from Hong Kong.
A decade ago, regular summer shipping along Russia’s Northern Sea Route seemed unlikely, but this year nearly 20 transit voyages are anticipated, linking Russian and Chinese ports. Flying Fish 1, which can carry 4 890 twenty-foot equivalent containers, sets a new benchmark for Arctic container shipping, as previously only smaller vessels with capacities of 1 500-2 000 containers had attempted this route.
Source: Shipatlas
The ship left St. Petersburg on September 3, entered the Northern Sea Route near Novaya Zemlya a week later, and had a notable encounter with another Chinese container ship in the Arctic, marking the first meeting of large box carriers in that region. Throughout its journey, Flying Fish 1 maintained a speed of 16 knots, reflecting significant changes in Arctic ice conditions over the past two decades. It navigated through the Laptev and East Siberian Seas and successfully passed through the Bering Strait on September 17 without needing icebreaker support.
The entire journey from the Baltic Sea to Shanghai is approximately 8 000 nautical miles, which is about 4 000 miles shorter than the traditional Suez Canal route. Given the current detour around South Africa due to instability in the Red Sea, this Arctic route offers a significant reduction in distance. While shipping services via the North are currently limited to a 3-4 month summer window, the retreating sea ice may encourage more operators to explore Arctic opportunities in the future.
