Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, announced the beginning of a new phase in the restoration of mega container ship traffic through the Suez Canal. On Wednesday, the Canal witnessed the transit of the container ship “CMA CGM OSIRIS” with a gross tonnage of 154,000 tons, as part of the southbound convoy coming from Singapore and heading to the Port of Alexandria via the Canal's new navigation channel.
This vessel of the French shipping line CMA CGM, is the first large container ship to transit the Canal from Bab al-Mandeb Strait since March 2024, following a temporary halt in the traffic of such vessels due to regional challenges. Its transit marks a culmination of the marketing efforts made by SCA, in light of the recent announcement offering a 15% discount for container ships with a net tonnage exceeding 130,000 tons, whether laden or ballast, for a period of three months in accordance with Circular No. (3/2025).
The vessel is 366 meters long, 51 meters wide, with a draft of 49 feet, and can accommodate up to 15,536 TEUs, making it the first large container ship to transit from Bab al-Mandeb and actually benefit from the newly introduced discount aimed at encouraging the return of large vessels to transit the Canal. The Chairman emphasized that the Suez Canal continues its efforts to ensure effective communication with clients and to take all necessary measures to encourage the return of major shipping lines through the Canal once again through the adoption of flexible pricing policies which reflects a positive approach towards global market changes and enhance the Canal's position as the best maritime route for mega ships despite regional and economic challenges.
He added that recent discussions with the management of the French shipping line CMA CGM resulted in an agreement for several of the group’s large vessels to resume transits through the Canal. He expressed hope that the coming period will see similar steps from other shipping lines. Admiral Rabiee also noted that CMA CGM currently tops the list of shipping lines in terms of the number of vessels and tonnages that transited the Canal during the first half of 2025, reflecting the strength of the strategic relationship between SCA and the French group. It is also worth noting that the Suez Canal witnessed the passage of two other vessels from the same shipping line "CMA CGM AQUILA” and “CMA CGM CALLISTO” each with a tonnage of 128,000 tons, as part of the line’s ongoing service for medium-sized tonnage vessels.
