Maersk adds WAF1 and reworks four West Africa strings from December

Maersk will launch a new WAF1 service linking Algeciras, Tangier and Dakar in the third week of December 2026, alongside revisions to three existing West Africa strings in its Western Mediterranean network.

The Danish carrier bills the overhaul as an expansion of direct connections through its two Iberian hubs into several West African markets. In practice, it means a dedicated Dakar shuttle, a redrawn Central West Africa rotation calling five ports, and extra direct calls grafted onto two established services.

What is the new WAF1?

WAF1 will run a tight three-port loop:

• Algeciras
• Tangier
• Dakar

Maersk said the service will improve connectivity to Dakar, including for cargo originating in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. That points to transshipment logic: Asian and Gulf freight lands at the Spanish and Moroccan hubs, then rides the shuttle south. Fewer stops mean faster transit on the final leg.

One wrinkle. Maersk has previously announced a WAF2 service with the identical port pairing — Algeciras, Tangier, Dakar. The latest notice does not say whether WAF1 replaces it or runs alongside it. Shippers booking Senegal cargo should confirm which string their boxes ride before December.

How does WAF5 change?

WAF5 gets a new Western Mediterranean rotation and a much wider footprint. It will call:

• Algeciras
• Tangier
• Monrovia
• Abidjan
• Takoradi
• San-Pedro
• Lagos

That is five West African ports on one loop, stretching from Liberia to Nigeria. Maersk said the revised service would strengthen its coverage across Central West Africa and support important export cargo flows from the region. For cocoa, rubber and other regional exporters, a direct hub call at Algeciras or Tangier cuts one transshipment out of the chain to Mediterranean and northern European markets.

What changes on WAF3 and WAF6?

Two more strings grow. WAF3 will add Tema, Onne and Pointe-Noire, giving direct Western Mediterranean links to Ghana, Nigeria's eastern oil terminal and Congo-Brazzaville. WAF6 gains Cotonou, connecting Benin directly to the hub network.

Maersk has not published the full revised rotations for either service. Schedules, the carrier noted, remain subject to change.

What does this change for shippers?

Three things, concretely. Dakar cargo gains a dedicated, hub-fed connection. Central West African exporters from Monrovia to Lagos get a single rotation that consolidates five markets. And cargo into Tema, Onne, Pointe-Noire and Cotonou no longer needs a transshipment at an intermediate West African port — it moves direct from the Mediterranean hubs.

For forwarders, the open question is overlap. If WAF1 and WAF2 both sail Algeciras–Tangier–Dakar, capacity on the lane doubles in short order; if one replaces the other, existing bookings may shift strings. Either way, the effective date lands in the third week of December, and Maersk's caveat on schedule stability means contract holders should expect final port maps closer to launch.