The Suez Canal has recorded the passage of the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, the largest container ship to transit the Canal in the past two years, marking a positive sign for the gradual return of giant vessels to the key trade route.

According to Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), the vessel transited as part of the north convoy, travelling from the United Kingdom to Malaysia, before safely passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The vessel, operated by the French shipping line CMA CGM, measures 399 metres in length and 54 metres in width, with a draft of 13.5 metres.

The ship can carry 17,859 containers and has a net tonnage of 177,000 tons. This was the ship’s first passage through the Suez Canal and Bab el-Mandeb Strait since October 2023, when regional tensions disrupted operations.

Admiral Rabiee said that the successful transit of the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin was a positive sign of the return of giant container ships to the Suez Canal, following the restoration of stability in the Red Sea region.

He further explained that since May, the Authority’s incentive schemes and flexible marketing strategies have helped restore 28 voyages of medium-sized container ships, with average tonnage ranging from 130,000 to 160,000 tons, to the Suez Canal route between Europe and Asia.

Of these, 19 voyages were operated by CMA CGM and nine by MSC, showing renewed trust in the Canal among leading shipping lines.

Rabiee also noted that CMA CGM has rerouted another large container ship, the CMA CGM Zheng He, to pass through the Suez Canal instead of sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. Each of these giant vessels has a net tonnage of around 180,000 tons.

He added that the safe passage of the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin through both the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait sends a reassuring message to international shipping companies about the stability of the region.

The Chairman encouraged operators to reconsider their schedules and conduct trial voyages through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal once again.

Reference: Suez Canal