# Salalah Disruptions Send Carriers on Indian Trades Back to Adding Pakistan Calls
Following Saturday’s drone strike that forced a suspension of operations at the Port of Salalah in Oman, Hapag-Lloyd has adjusted its scheduling on the India-US East Coast service. The carrier’s upcoming westbound sailing on the TPI service will now include a call at Port Qasim in Pakistan, diverting from its standard routing.
The disruption underscores the vulnerability of critical chokepoints in global maritime logistics, particularly the Strait of Hormuz region where Salalah serves as a major transshipment hub. The Omani port has faced intermittent security incidents in recent months, forcing carriers to reassess their supply chain resilience and consider alternative routing strategies. Such diversions can add considerable time and cost to services but remain necessary when primary ports become unreliable.
The shift back toward Pakistan calls reflects a broader pattern emerging among carriers as they hedge against further disruptions at Salalah. Port Qasim, while not ideally positioned on traditional India-US East Coast routes, provides an alternative transshipment point. Whether this becomes a temporary measure or signals a longer-term shift in service design will depend on the duration and frequency of Salalah’s operational challenges. Shippers should monitor service announcements closely, as additional port calls can impact transit times and costs across Asian trades.