A milestone in global shipping has been reached as the first container vessel to travel from Asia to Europe through the Arctic route arrived at the Port of Gdańsk on Sunday. The Istanbul Bridge, a 294-metre container ship, set sail from Ningbo-Zhoushan in China on 23 September and completed its express voyage across the Northern Sea Route – a passage that dramatically shortens transport time compared with traditional routes via the Suez Canal, while avoiding regions plagued by piracy and political instability.

According to data from MarineTraffic, the vessel anchored off Gdańsk on Saturday evening before entering the port early Sunday morning. Despite unfavourable weather conditions in the North Atlantic, which temporarily forced a speed reduction, the Istanbul Bridge reached Felixstowe in just 18 days. 

The shipment included energy-storage modules and e-commerce goods as part of cross-border trade, reported Joanna Sadowska of ATC Cargo, the ship’s general representative on the Polish market.

The route, stretching along the northern coast of Siberia through the Arctic Ocean to Europe, offers a significantly shorter connection between East Asia and Europe – less than half the time required by the southern passage through the Suez Canal, which typically takes around 40 days. 

According to Sadowska, preparations for this breakthrough voyage took more than three years and involved extensive efforts, from fleet modernisation and crew training to the development of advanced meteorological and navigation systems essential for safe Arctic operations.

She added that during winter, when navigation through the Northern Sea Route is impossible due to ice conditions, the shipowner plans to expand the “East Europe Express”, which is a fast, multimodal logistics solution combining maritime transport via the Suez Canal with rail delivery to terminals across Central Europe. 

“The new system will allow goods to be delivered within 25 days, creating a consistent, year-round transport ecosystem between China and Europe,” Sadowska emphasised.

The arrival of the Istanbul Bridge in Gdańsk marks a significant step towards redefining global shipping logistics, signalling that the Arctic is no longer a distant frontier but a viable commercial corridor shaping the future of international trade.

Photo: Port Gdańsk

Tomasz Modrzejewski