Major Shipping Lines Return to Suez Canal Amid Red Sea Disruptions
CMA CGM, Maersk Resume Suez Canal Transits, Signaling Shift in Maritime Routes
Major shipping lines are re-routing vessels through the Suez Canal, marking a new phase in maritime traffic following recent disruptions. Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairman Osama Rabie announced the development on Tuesday, highlighting the transit of two large container ships: the CMA CGM JACQUES SAADE, one of the world’s largest, and the CMA CGM ADONIS, carrying 154,000 tons, both part of the French group’s full return to the waterway.
The colossal CMA CGM JACQUES SAADE, an LNG-powered vessel, led the northbound convoy. It was en route from Morocco to Malaysia. The ship, part of the CMA CGM Group, is one of the largest container vessels globally and the biggest to transit the canal in two years. It measures 400 meters in length, 62 meters in width, has a net capacity of 231,000 tons, and can carry up to 23,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).
Also on Tuesday, the MAERSK SEBAROK transited the canal as part of the southbound convoy. This vessel, traveling from Salalah Port in Oman to the United States, marks the first MAERSK container ship to use the canal since the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between the shipping giant and the SCA. The MAERSK SEBAROK is 318 meters long, 40 meters wide, has a draft of 14 meters, and a gross capacity of 82,000 tons.
Rabie stated that the return of these major shipping lines is a direct result of the SCA’s intensive marketing efforts over the past period. These efforts culminated in CMA CGM’s full commitment to the canal and MAERSK’s initiation of a gradual return.
Vessels transiting the Suez Canal
Vessels transiting the Suez Canal
The SCA chairman underscored that these significant steps are poised to bring about positive changes in the global maritime transport market. He added that they are expected to encourage other shipping lines to adjust their sailing schedules and resume voyages through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, passing via the Suez Canal.
Rabie projected a gradual improvement in canal navigation rates throughout the coming year, anticipating a return to normal levels during the second half of the year.
