Suez Canal Ready To Receive Mega Container Ships With Transit Of Two Giant Vessels

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has reaffirmed its readiness to handle the world’s largest container ships after two CMA CGM vessels, one of the Group’s biggest and one on its maiden voyage, safely transited the Canal on the same day.

The Canal recorded the passage of 38 ships, with total net tonnage reaching 1.7 million tons.

Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the SCA, made the announcement while inspecting navigation from aboard the CMA CGM JULES VERNE, which was sailing north from Singapore to Lebanon after clearing the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandab Strait without incident. He stated that the Canal is fully prepared to receive mega ships and ensure smooth navigation.

The CMA CGM JULES VERNE, affiliated with the French shipping group CMA CGM, is 396 metres long, 53.6 metres wide, carries a draft of 11.5 metres, and has a gross tonnage of 176,000 tons.

This transit marked the vessel’s first passage from the south through Bab el-Mandab and its third overall through the Suez Canal. It resumed using the Canal following two earlier southbound transits this year on 20 June and 20 September, supported by incentive programmes.

During the onboard inspection, Admiral Rabiee welcomed the crew and asked about their experience navigating the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandab, as well as the quality of services provided by the Canal. He was received by Tariq Zaghloul, CMA CGM Egypt & Sudan Cluster CEO, and Amr El-Shafei, the Group’s Operations Manager.

The Chairman also observed the transit of the CMA CGM HELIUM, which passed through the Canal on its maiden voyage as part of the northbound convoy from Singapore, with a scheduled call at Alexandria. The ship is 335 metres long, 51 metres wide, has a draft of 9.5 metres, and carries a gross tonnage of 130,000 tons.

Admiral Rabiee instructed that all necessary safety and navigational measures be enforced, including the assignment of senior SCA pilots, tugboat assistance, and continuous monitoring from the Main Traffic Control Center and all Canal traffic stations.

Admiral Rabiee further noted that the return of stability to the Red Sea region would likely influence shipping lines to reconsider their routing schedules and resume using Bab el-Mandab and the Suez Canal.

He said the SCA plans to intensify meetings with major shipping companies to support a gradual or full return of their container ships, whether through trial passages, partial resumption, or phased reinstatement.

Reference: Suez Canal Authority

Source: Maritime Shipping News