ports

Container Lines Normalize Blank Sailings as Structural Capacity Tool

Container carriers have shifted blank sailings from pandemic-era disruption to permanent network management strategy, according to Sea-Intelligence analysis of first-half 2026 operations. Across the four major east-west trades, blanked capacity now routinely represents 10% to 14% of scheduled space.

The Asia-US east coast route shows the sharpest increase, with withdrawn capacity climbing to 863,396 teu from 273,725 teu in the comparable 2019 period. Asia-Mediterranean blanked capacity more than doubled to 580,484 teu. Both Asia-US west coast and Asia-North Europe routes recorded approximately 1 million teu of cancelled sailings in the first half.

Blank sailings now account for double-digit percentages across all major trades, up from 6% to 8% in 2019. Supply chain planners must recalibrate inventory and allocation strategies around this reduced baseline of available capacity.