On 8 November 2025, container ship CMA-CGM Benjamin Franklin, one of the largest container ships, safely transited Bthe ab el-Mandeb Strait after transiting through the Suez Canal. It was the first time since its last transit on 22 October 2023.
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The gradual return of giant container ships to transit through the Suez Canal, as the Canal witnessed the transit of the container ship CMA-CGM Benjamin Franklin, as part of the north convoy, coming from the United Kingdom and calling to Malaysia,” said Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority,
Positive indicators point towards the return of giant container ships to transit through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal once again, considering the restoration of stability to the region.
This voyage marks the first transit of the giant containership through the Suez Canal and Bab el-Mandeb Strait since its last transit on October 22, 2023, due to regional tensions.
Since last May the Authority has successfully restored 28 voyages of medium-sized container ships, with an average tonnage ranging from 130,000 to 160,000 tons to transit through the Suez Canal on their voyages from Europe to Asia.
These include 19 voyages by CMA-CGM and 9 voyages by MSC, reflecting the commitment of major shipping lines to using the Suez Canal.
Admiral Rabiee also pointed out that the French shipping line CMA-CGM has re-routed its giant container ship, CMA-CGM Zheng He, to transit through the Suez Canal instead of the Cape of Good Hope, adding two such voyages to its existing Canal routes. Each of these ships has a net tonnage of up to 180,000 tons.
The safe transit of CMA-CGM Benjamin Franklin through Bab el-Mandeb Strait after transiting through the Suez Canal sends a reassuring message to all shipping lines that stability has been restored to the region. This necessitates a review of container ship schedules and the initiation of trial voyages for transits through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.