Traffic through the Arctic shipping route has reached record levels.

As sea ice melts and critical global shipping chokepoints come under pressure, shipowners are seeking alternative routes.

According to data from Lloyd's List Intelligence, part of Lloyd's Register, voyages along the Northern Sea Route reached 133 last month, more than four times the number in 2022 and a 46% increase from August.

Nearly half of those voyages were completed by vessels flying the Russian flag.

Bridget Diakun, head of maritime intelligence and research at Lloyd's List, said: "As governments and operators increasingly look for alternative routes less affected by geopolitical risks, the development trend of the Northern Sea Route deserves attention."

September is typically the busiest month for Arctic routes, as sea ice extent drops to its lowest point, allowing vessels without icebreaking capability to navigate.

Researchers at the University of Southampton said that in 2025, Arctic sea ice experienced the largest single-year winter decline since satellite records began, and has remained at historically low levels since then.

Declining sea ice, combined with mounting pressure on key shipping corridors such as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, is making the Northern Sea Route increasingly attractive to shipowners.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, located at the entrance to the Red Sea, is currently threatened by Yemen's Houthi forces.

Earlier, Iran restricted vessel passage through the Strait of Hormuz following US strikes on Iran, making the Bab el-Mandeb Strait an important channel for Saudi Arabian oil exports.

Meanwhile, the Panama Canal also experienced drought conditions this year.

Liquefied natural gas carriers frequently use this route to reach Russia's Yamal and Arctic LNG 2 facilities.

However, the number of bulk carriers has also increased — vessels that typically transport commodities such as grain or iron ore.

Data shows that 29 bulk carriers passed through the Northern Sea Route in September, up from 18 in August and surpassing the previous record of 12 set in September last year.

Additionally, the number of crude oil tankers deployed on the route also hit a record high.

The Northern Sea Route is divided into 28 segments.

The Northern Sea Route Administration, controlled by Russia's state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, establishes navigation rules for different segments based on ice conditions and is responsible for issuing transit permits.

Insurance companies and environmental organizations have warned that increasing use of the route could lead to major accidents, while search-and-rescue and pollution cleanup capabilities in the region are extremely limited.

In 1989, the supertanker Exxon Valdez suffered a major oil spill off the coast of Alaska, with cleanup efforts lasting at least four years; however, residual contamination remains on nearby beaches to this day.

Romain Troublé, executive director of the Tara Ocean Foundation, said that even a small-scale oil spill could exacerbate global warming, because black oil droplets absorb sunlight and accelerate sea ice melting.

For crew members, Arctic navigation also poses significant dangers, as local weather is unpredictable and environmental conditions are extremely harsh.

Tom Mellor, head of technical cooperation at the UK Hydrographic Office, said that at very high latitudes, navigation equipment may fail to function properly.

He said: "North or south of this latitude line, the curvature of the Earth increases significantly, and different methods must be used to display data to ensure accurate positioning on nautical charts."

He also said: "I would not want to board a vessel without a system that can correctly display nautical charts."