Container fleet utilisation remains strong at the start of 2026, with vessel idling firmly below 1%, as Alphaliner counted 83 ships with an aggregate slot capacity of 212,327 teu as commercially idle in the final days of 2025.
In the last days of 2025, Alphaliner counted 83 ships with an aggregate slot capacity of 212,327 teu as commercially idle. This accounted for just 0.6% of the global container ship fleet, which is slowly but surely approaching 37 Mteu.
December idling thus aligned with the 0.7% average that Alphaliner recorded for the past year.
At the current level, commercial vessel idling remains a non-factor in the container shipping sector, but continued delivery of new ships, combined with the traditionally weak first quarter could see vessel inactivity inch upwards in the coming months.
Some 1.50 Mteu of new vessel capacity is scheduled for delivery in 2026. This is quite substantial historically, but fairly low compared to well over 2.00 Mteu in 2025 and a projected tonnage influx of about 3.00 Mteu in 2027.
A major factor that could impact ship inactivity would be a large-scale return of liner services to the Suez Canal and Red Sea.
While most carriers continue with their ‘wait and see’ approach, a revival of the route would release a significant portion of tonnage currently tied-up.
Source: Alphaliner
