Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The Suez Canal has welcomed the return of one of the world’s largest container ships, marking a significant step toward restoring global shipping confidence in the vital waterway. Admiral Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), announced that the French shipping giant CMA CGM has redirected its vessels to resume transit through the canal, following a period of rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope due to regional security concerns.
The vessel CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, a 399-meter-long, 54-meter-wide container ship with a draft of 13.5 meters and a capacity of nearly 17,859 containers crossed the canal as part of the northbound convoy, sailing from the United Kingdom en route to Malaysia. With a gross tonnage of 177,000 tons, it is the largest container ship to transit the Suez Canal in the past two years.
Admiral Rabie noted that this voyage marks Benjamin Franklin’s first passage through the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since October 22, 2023, when operations were suspended amid escalating tensions in the Red Sea. “The successful crossing of this mega-ship is a positive indicator of renewed confidence among international shipping lines in the Suez Canal as a safe and reliable corridor,” he said.
The return of Benjamin Franklin coincides with improving conditions in the Red Sea and the implementation of new flexible marketing and operational policies by the SCA since May. According to Rabie, these measures have already helped recover 28 container ship transits of medium capacity, ranging from 130,000 to 160,000 tons.
Among them, 19 voyages belong to the French CMA CGM line, and 9 to the Swiss company MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company), reflecting renewed commitment from major global carriers to the Egyptian route.
In a further sign of confidence, the French line CMA CGM has also announced plans to reroute another of its mega-ships, the CMA CGM Zheng He, to pass through the Suez Canal instead of the Cape of Good Hope. The vessel, with a capacity of approximately 180,000 tons, joins two additional large-scale voyages scheduled to transit the canal in the coming weeks.
Admiral Rabie emphasized that the safe passage of Benjamin Franklin through both the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait serves as “a clear message of reassurance” to global shipping companies regarding the stability and security of the region. He encouraged maritime operators to reconsider their navigation schedules and to resume regular trial voyages through the canal.
“The return of major shipping lines to the Suez Canal underscores its enduring importance as the shortest and most secure route linking East and West,” Rabie added.
