The 1,740 teu Dubai Tower departed Ningbo-Zhoushan on Saturday evening, marking the start of Sea Legend’s first regular seasonal Arctic service following a successful trial voyage last year.   Eight sailings are planned between August and October using seven ice-strengthened ships, with vessels departing China approximately every week during the Arctic navigation window.   The service links Ningbo-Zhoushan with Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Gdynia, targeting high-value and time-sensitive exports including batteries, energy storage systems, solar equipment and other new-energy products.

Sea Legend is advertising transit times of around 18 to 20 days between China and northern Europe, roughly half the time required on traditional routings via Suez.    The move represents a significant escalation from 2025, when the 4,890 teu Istanbul Bridge completed a single Arctic voyage from Ningbo to Felixstowe in approximately 20 days.          Sea Legend executives have pointed to instability in the Middle East, including disruption around the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz, as evidence of the vulnerability of established maritime chokepoints and the need for alternative China-Europe corridors. Sea Legend plans eventually to maintain four months of reliable Arctic operations each year and gradually extend the sailing season.