GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jul 22, 2026
Blank Sailing
A blank sailing, also called a void sailing or cancelled sailing, is the cancellation of a scheduled vessel departure or of an entire rotation in container liner shipping.
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A blank sailing, also called a void sailing or cancelled sailing, is the cancellation of a scheduled vessel departure or of an entire rotation in container liner shipping. The carrier drops a departure announced in the schedule – typically to manage capacity when demand is weak, or because of port congestion, strikes or geopolitical disruption. For freight forwarders and shippers, a blank sailing means that booked containers are shifted to later departures (rollover), extending transit times and disrupting supply chains. In periods of tight capacity, clusters of blank sailings also push freight rates upwards. In practice, booking confirmations should be reconciled regularly with the carrier's current schedules, and critical shipments planned with buffer time; connections involving transshipment can be affected as well. Not to be confused with a port omission, where the vessel sails but skips a single port call.
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