Abstract: The Northeast Arctic route has a long span, and the geographical environment of the sea area is complex. Under the influence of the natural environment and human intervention, there are great differences in the navigation environments of different legs of this route. Analysis of the differences between different legs is of great significance to ensure navigation safety. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process method and multi-level extension theory were combined to evaluate and analyze the risk levels of different legs of the Northeast Arctic route based on the risk evaluation index system of the Northeast Arctic route. The results show that (1) ice conditions, temperature, visibility, channel conditions, and navigation support capabilities are the five most important factors affecting navigation risks along the Northeast Arctic route; (2) there are obvious differences in the safety risks of each leg, and the risk level of most indicators for the East Siberian Sea–Delang Channel leg is relatively high; (3) the risk assessment results are basically consistent with the actual situation, which can provide an important reference for ensuring the safety of the Northeast Arctic route.

Key words: Northeast Arctic route, five legs, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, multi-level extension evaluation