Major shipping lines have begun returning to the Suez Canal, Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairperson Osama Rabie said on Tuesday, as the waterway recorded the transit of one of the world’s largest container ships for the first time in two years.
The transit of the LNG-powered CMA CGM Jacques Saade from the north, travelling from Morocco to Malaysia, signals the “full return” of the French shipping group’s vessels to the canal, Rabie said. The vessel, which has a capacity of 23,000 TEUs, is 400 metres long and 62 metres wide, with a net tonnage of 231,000 tonnes.
The SCA also reported the transit of the Maersk Sebarok through the southern convoy after it passed through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Travelling from Salalah, Oman, to the United States, it is the first Maersk vessel to cross the canal following the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between the SCA and the Danish shipping giant. The vessel is 318 metres long with a total tonnage of 82,000 tonnes.
“The start of the return of major shipping lines is the culmination of the Suez Canal Authority’s intensive marketing efforts over the past period,” Rabie said in a statement. He added that while CMA CGM has announced a full return, Maersk has begun a gradual resumption of transits.
The authority also noted the transit of the 154,000-tonne CMA CGM Adonis as part of the southern convoy on Tuesday.
Rabie stated that these developments would encourage other shipping lines to adjust their schedules and resume voyages through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab. He expects a gradual improvement in navigation rates throughout next year, with traffic reaching normal levels during the second half of 2026.
