Djibouti to Marsaxlokk shipping route.

Ships leaving Djibouti for Marsaxlokk head north west and cover a sea distance of 2,328 nautical miles (4,311 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 3,937 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 6.9 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 8.1 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 5.4. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Djibouti and Marsaxlokk to plan the full ocean transit time.

952 nm of the route, 41% of it, lies inside Mediterranean Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.

Container freight rates on Djibouti to Marsaxlokk move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Marsaxlokk (MTMAR) carriers give about 6 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 65 port to port routes from Djibouti in this directory, Marsaxlokk is the 12th shortest. Closer destinations include Colombo (2,230 nm), Piraeus (1,973 nm) and Mombasa (1,805 nm).