TWO Chinese containerships, the 54,437 gross ton Flying Fish 1 and the 35,975-gross ton NewNew Star, recently crossed paths just 750 nautical miles from the North Pole, showcasing the increasing viability of the Northern Sea Route, reports Ventura, California's gCaptain.

The 4,843-TEU Flying Fish 1, the largest containership to navigate the Arctic, travelled from Saint Petersburg to Qingdao, while NewNew Star journeyed from Nansha to Russia.

While Arctic container shipping has mainly been dominated by Chinese vessels, Danish shipping giant Maersk made a notable trial voyage in 2018 with 3,600-TEU Venta Maersk in 2018, not to be repeated by the company.