CMA CGM Large Boxship Transits Suez Canal Amid Signs of Recovery

The canal authority states that CMA CGM is also rerouting another boxship through the Suez Canal instead of around Africa. Image Credit: SCA

A CMA CGM ship has become the largest container ship to transit the Suez Canal in two years, signalling a gradual return of traffic after Red Sea disruptions.

The 17,859 TEU capacity ship, CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, recently made a passage through the canal as part of its voyage from the UK to Malaysia, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said in a social media post on Saturday. 

It was the first time the ship had transited the canal since October 2023, after Houthi attacks on commercial vessels passing the Red Sea prompted many container lines to avoid the route.

“The transit of the container ship CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin through the Suez Canal and then Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a positive indicator of the return of giant container ships to the Canal, given the restored stability in the Red Sea region,” Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman of the SCA, said.

He added that CMA CGM is rerouting another container ship, CMA CGM Zheng He, to transit through the Suez Canal instead of taking the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope.

Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden began soon after the Gaza conflict erupted in late 2023. This resulted in most major shipping lines avoiding the region and instead opting for the longer route around Africa, pushing global bunker demand up.

While a recent ceasefire between Hamas and Israel could ease regional tensions and eventually restore confidence in the Suez route, a rapid return of vessels appears unlikely until sustained security assurances are in place.

Meanwhile, the SCA has been working to lure shipowners back to the route, announcing a 15% rebate on transit dues for container ships in May.