British shipping companies operating in the Indian Ocean include: British India Steam Navigation Company, Peninsula and Oriental, Orient, and Union Castle.

Notable foreign companies with scheduled service include: Nederland, Messageries Maritimes, Società Italia Flotte Riuniti (Italia), and Nippon Yusen Kaisha.

The most heavily-trafficked route is between the Gulf of Aden, to Columbo, and then onwards to Singapore via the Malacca Straits.