CMA CGM Sends ULCV Through Suez Canal as 2026 Traffic Return is Predicted

The Suez Canal Authority is highlighting what it is calling a “new phase in the return of containerships” as it marked the first transits in two years by ultra-large vessels. Today, December 23, was a milestone for the Suez Canal as two of CMA’s large vessels passed in the Canal while Maersk’s first ship completed its transit, the first time the majors have sent their large vessels back since the start of the Houthis’ campaign in late 2023.

Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority, said these transits were “significant steps,” predicting they would have a “profound impact” in bringing back volume to the Suez Canal. He is urging other shipping lines to adjust their schedules and resume voyages. Rabiee said that they expect next year will witness a gradual improvement in traffic, forecasting that they will reach normal rates in the second half of 2026.

CMA CGM, which had maintained a limited number of transits through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea when security was available, had already tested the Suez Canal with larger vessels. It had also announced that one of its routes between India and the United States would resume regularly scheduled transits in January.

 

CMA CGM is the first carrier to send its largest vessels through the Suez Canal since 2023 (SCA)

 

The CMA CGM Jaques Saade (23,000 TEU) made the southbound transit today. The vessel is sailing from Tangier Med, where it departed on December 16, bound for Port Klang, Malaysia. It became the first of the ultra-large vessels to make the Suez Canal transit since 2023. The ship operates one of the main routes, sailing from China to Northern Europe.

Northbound, the CMA CGM Adonis (15,536 teu) was traveling from Singapore. The Suez Canal Authority reports the vessel was carrying 154,000 tons of cargo. It operates on a route from Asia to the Eastern Mediterranean. CMA CGM has not commented on whether these transits are part of a regular return to its routes or test voyages.

 

Maersk Sebarok completing the trip that also saw it transit the Red Sea (SCA)

 

Also in the northbound convoy was the Maersk Sebarok (6,648 teu), sailing from Oman bound for the U.S. East Coast. Last week, Maersk highlighted that the vessel was its first to transit the Red Sea since December 2023. Maersk, however, said it was a trial trip and that there were no immediate plans for additional transits through the region.

The Suez Canal Authority has been moving aggressively to restore traffic. It has met with the major shipping companies, encouraging a return, and offered special rates to further encourage the transits. The Canal is a major source of foreign income for Egypt.