Rhenus Gulf Link: Sus soluciones de transporte hacia Oriente Medio

14 April 2026 - 3 PM (CET)

Transport infrastructure across parts of the Middle East continues to face operational limitations, impacting global air, ocean and overland logistics.

Rhenus is actively monitoring the situation and coordinating with carriers and partners to support service continuity wherever possible.

Current air freight update

Global air freight operations remain constrained due to ongoing airspace limitations, jet fuel implications and adjusted airport schedules.

• Middle Eastern Airlines & Air Hubs: Air freight capacity across the Middle East remains constrained despite the gradual return of freighter operations and partial recovery of regional hubs, especially in the UAE and Qatar. While some flight services have been reinstated, essential cargo is often prioritized, cancellations continue to impact reliability.

• Constraint APAC-EU Lane and Alternative Hubs: Ongoing rerouting of cargo is shifting volumes to alternative hubs, increasing congestion globally. The Asia–Europe Lane remains the most capacity-constrained, and while some direct capacity has increased, it is insufficient to offset reduced Middle East hub operations. Longer routes also limit payload, further tightening effective capacity and sustaining a supply–demand imbalance.
• Surging Surcharges: Fluctuations in fuel supply and pricing are affecting the Brent Crude Index and even more jet fuel prices increasing costs for airlines, as well as road feeder service providers and ground handling partners, resulting in the introduction or increase of fuel-, war risk-, or contingency surcharges. Combined with limited capacity, this is leading to rising rates and continued volatility across multiple trade lanes.
• Fuel Supply Disruptions: The availability of jet fuel in certain regions, specifically Southeast Asia, is being monitored closely by airlines. Decisions on airline schedules due to the lack of jet fuel availability can cause a further reduction in available capacity and further upward pressure on rates in the future.

Current ocean freight update

Global ocean freight operations remain impacted by ongoing security concerns and operational constraints in the Middle East:

• Transit & Regional Access: Transit through the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal remain subject to increased precautionary measures; vessel movements remain significantly reduced and carefully managed.
• Alternative routing & service adjustments: Following an initial phase where carriers suspended most calls to ports in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), services have gradually resumed on a limited basis to selected gateway ports, including Khor Fakkan Port (UAE), Jeddah Port (Saudi Arabia), and Sohar Port (Oman). Inland trucking is used for both pre- and oncarriage transportation.
• Operational impact: The rerouting of cargo is contributing to port congestion at alternative hub locations, causing delays. In addition, vessel schedule changes and broader network disruptions continue to impact transit times and reliability across adjacent trade lanes.
• Cost impact: Additional surcharges, including war risk and other security-related charges, have been implemented on affected trade lanes. Further, fuel prices have increased, impacting bunker adjustment factors (BAF) and contributing to higher overall transport costs.

Current overland transport update

European overland transport networks are also experiencing the effects of capacity constraints in air and ocean freight. Specifically:

• Higher demand for landbased alternatives is causing congestion on major European corridors.
• Additional documentation and procedural checks along selected Eastern European and Turkish routes may cause delays in border processing.
• Carriers continue to adjust their routes in response to capacity shifts and infrastructure bottlenecks.

General operational and infrastructure considerations

Across multiple locations, temporary restrictions and schedule changes at transport facilities are contributing to reduced or changed operating windows at airports and ports, slower processing times and delays in cargo handling as well as increased demand for inland logistics and warehousing capacities.

What we can do for our Customers

To support your supply chain during this period, Rhenus has reinforced several contingency solutions in the Middle East, where direct freight connections are unavailable:

• Expanded use of alternative multimodal routes, including sea-air combinations and landbridge services via neighboring markets, enabling routing flexibility to avoid areas with operational or security constraints. As part of this approach, we have developed the Rhenus Gulf Link Solutions  to maintain reliable access to the region for different needs on transit times and cost effectiveness.
• Increased warehouse readiness and strategic stock placement for urgent cargo flows.
• Tailored planning of last mile delivery across affected regions.

These measures are intended to minimize disruptions and maintain service continuity as far as possible.

To help manage potential delays, we recommend you to:

• Share shipment forecasts where possible to support capacity planning.
• Confirm bookings as early as possible to help secure available space.
• Evaluate alternative transport solutions, such as intermodal transport, dedicated full-truck loads and charter solutions.
• Remain flexible with delivery and pickup arrangements.
• Plan for extended lead times and potential rerouting, even if conditions appear stable locally.

As the situation remains dynamic, changes may occur at short notice. We will keep you informed of any developments relevant to your business.

If you have any questions, please contact your local Rhenus representative.

Turquía actúa como el punto de acceso central dentro de la red del Golfo, proporcionando una entrada estable y flexible para la carga procedente de Europa y de mercados globales. Los envíos se gestionan a través de nuestras instalaciones en Estambul y de nuestro hub en Mersin, donde los procedimientos de manipulación y consolidación permiten una transición rápida entre los distintos modos de transporte.

Conexión terrestre integrada
El enlace entre Turquía y Oriente Medio se basa en un corredor terrestre plenamente operativo. Esta red de transporte por carretera admite flujos de tráfico semanales constantes y ofrece rutas fiables, incluso cuando las rutas marítimas o aéreas regionales se ven afectadas. Las rutas se monitorizan de forma continua para adaptarse a la evolución de las condiciones fronterizas y de seguridad, garantizando una fase inicial del trayecto controlada y fiable.

Opciones multimodales hacia Turquía
Desde Europa, los envíos pueden dirigirse a Turquía mediante conexiones terrestres consolidadas, con la opción de transporte aéreo para cargas urgentes.

Desde otros orígenes globales, los envíos pueden transportarse por vía aérea o marítima hasta el Aeropuerto Internacional de Estambul o el Puerto de Mersin, donde se integran de forma fluida en nuestra red terrestre para su distribución posterior.

Turquía como hub central
Turquía ha sido seleccionada como hub central por su sólida infraestructura, su extensa red de carreteras y su proximidad a la región del Golfo. Respaldada por una potente red de Rhenus, permite una integración fiable de las operaciones aéreas, marítimas y terrestres. Los procesos estandarizados de consolidación, cross-docking y gestión aduanera garantizan la coherencia de todos los flujos de entrada y una transición fluida hacia las siguientes etapas de distribución.

Cuando el acceso directo a puertos clave, aeropuertos o corredores de transporte está limitado, aprovechamos puntos de entrada regionales alternativos para mantener su carga en movimiento hacia y desde Oriente Medio. En función de las condiciones operativas actuales, nuestros equipos determinan la combinación más eficaz de accesos y soluciones de transporte posteriores.

Las opciones de enrutamiento alternativo incluyen:

• Transporte marítimo a través de puertos regionales
  La carga puede enrutarse a través de puertos estratégicos seleccionados, como el Puerto de Khor Al Fakkan (EAU), el Puerto de Yeda (Arabia Saudí), el Puerto de Sohar (Omán) y el Puerto de Salalah (Omán).
• Transporte aéreo a través de aeropuertos hub regionales
  La carga puede enrutarse a través de hubs aéreos regionales alternativos, como los aeropuertos de Riad y Dammam (Arabia Saudí) y Mascate (Omán), en caso de que las conexiones directas no estén disponibles temporalmente.

La selección de los accesos se ajusta de forma continua en función de la capacidad, los tiempos de tránsito y las condiciones operativas locales, garantizando rutas fiables y eficientes.

Desde nuestros hubs en Turquía, así como desde los puertos y aeropuertos de entrada alternativos dentro de Oriente Medio, la distribución en los países del CCG se apoya en soluciones de transporte por carretera con despacho aduanero y transfronterizo, garantizando una conectividad fluida hasta el destino final.

Nuestros servicios aseguran un acceso fiable a mercados clave, incluidos destinos que actualmente pueden resultar más complejos:

• Emiratos Árabes Unidos
• Arabia Saudí
• Catar
• Kuwait
• Baréin

Este enfoque permite una entrega flexible y fiable en toda la región, independientemente del punto de entrada inicial.

Nuestros expertos internos en aduanas le acompañarán en cada etapa del proceso y le asesorarán sobre la solución más adecuada para su envío, ya sea transporte en régimen de tránsito aduanero o despacho en el punto de entrada o en el puerto.