MarineTraffic, a Kpler-owned maritime tracking platform, released its July 2026 product updates on July 31, 2026, introducing new risk and compliance monitoring tools, expanded historical AIS data access, and offline capabilities for its mobile email application.

The updates are organized around three themes: risk and compliance visibility, data access at scale, and reliability for mobile users. According to MarineTraffic, these changes respond to growing client demand to track more vessels, risk types, and communication channels without additional manual work. The release comes as maritime sanctions compliance intensifies globally, with regulators including the U.S. Treasury's OFAC and the UK's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation increasing enforcement focus on AIS manipulation and deceptive shipping practices.

Dark Port Call Detection

MarineTraffic introduced a new operational risk type that flags port calls made with a vessel's AIS transponder switched off. The feature targets compliance and sanctions teams, risk analysts, and clients monitoring vessel activity for regulatory exposure.

Vessels that disable AIS before or during a port call represent a well-documented sanctions evasion pattern. Under IMO SOLAS regulations, vessels of 300 gross tonnage and above engaged on international voyages are required to maintain AIS transmission, making intentional gaps a red flag for compliance teams. Until now, this activity remained undetectable for clients relying solely on AIS-based monitoring. The new risk type surfaces these incidents as a distinct, trackable signal within the existing risk feed.

The feature is live on the MarineTraffic web application and via API. No configuration is required.

Strait of Hormuz Daily Monitor

MarineTraffic launched a downloadable spreadsheet listing every vessel crossing the Strait of Hormuz in both directions, refreshed daily by the company's own analysts. The tool is designed for compliance teams, chartering desks, and analysts tracking chokepoint activity in the Gulf region.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical maritime oil transit chokepoints, handling roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption. Chokepoint crossings are among the first data points compliance and trading teams review when tensions escalate in the Gulf. The analyst-verified daily list provides fresh data without requiring clients to build their own tracking logic. The monitor is available now in the Compliance workspace.

Vessel Classification Columns

Three new columns — vessel category, type, and subtype — have been added to the Compliance workspace. The classification data is sourced directly from MarineTraffic's single source of truth (SSoT) system, ensuring consistency across all platform products. Users can now identify vessel types without cross-referencing external systems.

AIS Historical API: Hourly Downsample Option

Developer Hilarion Kodia contributed a third downsampling option for the AIS Historical API: downsample=hourly. This option retains one position per vessel per hour while preserving a fully usable track.

The API previously supported downsample=none (every available AIS position) and downsample=dynamic (at least one position every 10 minutes, plus points where course changes by 10 degrees or more, or speed changes by 10 knots or more).

Full-detail queries are capped at 55,000 km² for one day or 10 vessels for one year per call. The lighter hourly payload significantly increases these limits: clients can now query up to 1,000,000 km² for one day — an 18x increase — and up to 100 vessels for one year, at no additional cost.

Under the hood, the hourly option required a rebuild of how position data is aggregated at query time, cutting response payloads by approximately 98% for a typical vessel track while keeping the track visually near-identical to full resolution. For developers building fleet analytics or historical route reconstruction across large geographic areas, the expanded limits reduce the number of paginated calls required.

MarineTraffic Inbox Offline Mode

The MarineTraffic Inbox mobile app now supports offline mode, allowing users to access up to 30 days of email history without an internet connection. The feature is aimed at vessel operators, port agents, and brokers working on flights, at sea, or in areas with unreliable connectivity.

Emails sent while offline queue automatically and transmit when the device reconnects. Drafts composed offline remain as drafts rather than auto-sending on reconnection, preventing accidental sends. Users can enable offline mode via Settings > Offline mode while connected, selecting specific mailboxes, days of history, and whether to include attachments. Storage can be managed from Settings > Offline mode > View and clean up.

Availability

Dark port calls, the Compliance workspace updates, and the AIS Historical API hourly option are live for existing users of those products. MarineTraffic Inbox offline mode is a mobile-only feature that must be enabled manually; a pop-up notification will appear for all users on next app launch, and key accounts have already been notified by email.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main product updates for July 2026? Three areas: new Risk & Compliance capabilities (dark port calls, a Strait of Hormuz daily monitor, and vessel classification columns), a new hourly downsample option for the AIS Historical API, and offline mode for the MarineTraffic Inbox mobile app.

Are these features available to all users? Dark port calls, the Compliance workspace updates, and the AIS Historical API hourly option are live now for existing users. MarineTraffic Inbox offline mode is mobile-only and must be enabled manually in Settings while connected.

How often does MarineTraffic release product updates? Monthly, alongside continuous smaller improvements throughout the month.

Source: Kpler via Hellenic Shipping News