Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), announced the successful transit of the container ship CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN through the Canal, the largest vessel to do so in the past two years.
The 399-meter-long, 54-meter-wide ship, operated by French carrier CMA CGM, carries up to 17,859 containers and has a net tonnage of 177,000 tons. The vessel was part of the northbound convoy from the United Kingdom to Malaysia and safely continued through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Admiral Rabiee stated that the ship’s passage signals the gradual return of giant container ships to the Red Sea and Suez Canal, driven by growing regional stability. He credited the SCA’s flexible marketing policies and incentives for restoring 28 voyages of medium-sized vessels and two of larger ships to the Canal.
He also noted that CMA CGM rerouted its ZHENG HE to the Suez Canal from the Cape of Good Hope, underscoring renewed confidence among major shipping lines.
“The safe passage of CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait sends a reassuring message that stability has returned to the region,” said Admiral Rabiee. “This marks an important step toward restoring normal maritime traffic through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.”
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