Ships are calling the Spanish port of Barcelona with a delay of 10 to 15 days as they have to travel around Africa to avoid potential attacks in the Red Sea, port chief Lluis Salvado told reporters on Monday.
The official said the delays affected ships carrying all kinds of products, including liquefied natural gas.
Barcelona is one of the largest LNG terminals in Spain.
Still the delays in the western part of the Mediterranean are shorter, as those ports are closer on the detour route around Africa, he said.
"It affects in a very significant way the ports in the Eastern Mediterranean, those like us on the western side are less affected," Salvado said.
Some shipping companies have suspended transit along the Red Sea route to avoid being attacked by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi group, which launched waves of exploding drones and missiles at vessels since November in response to Israel's military operations in Gaza.
The Houthi attacks have primarily targeted container vessels moving through the Red Sea.
Many fuel tankers continue using the route, though QatarEnergy, the world's second largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, stopped sending tankers via the Red Sea, citing security concerns.
(Reuters - Reporting by Joan Faus, writing by Inti Landauro, editing by Andrei Khalip)
