The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has reported the transit of the 17,859–TEU CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, the largest container ship to use the Canal in two years.
The 399-metre vessel safely passed through both the Suez Canal and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a route many operators have avoided since late 2023 amid attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea.
SCA Chairman Admiral Ossama Rabiee said the ship’s voyage indicates improving stability in the region and renewed confidence among operators. He added that incentives and flexible marketing policies introduced since May have helped restore 28 medium-sized and two large container ship transits, mainly from CMA CGM and MSC.
Rabiee also confirmed that CMA CGM has rerouted its ultra-large CMA CGM Zheng He through the Canal instead of the Cape of Good Hope.
While large-vessel traffic remains limited, the latest passages indicate container lines may be cautiously resuming use of the Suez Canal as conditions in the Red Sea show signs of improvement.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been targeting commercial ships transiting the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, following the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war, claiming their attacks were aimed at vessels linked to Israel or its allies.
The escalation prompted most major shipping lines to suspend transits through the region and reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope.
