Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Source: Suez Canal Authority
Suez Canal sees renewed container ship traffic with CMA CGM ZEPHYR
The Suez Canal has marked the passage of the CMA CGM ZEPHYR, a Malta-flagged container vessel, as part of its southbound convoy. The ship, arriving from Singapore and bound for Alexandria, highlights a revival in container traffic following new incentives and flexible pricing introduced by the Suez Canal Authority.
This journey marks the tenth since these new policies came into effect, aimed at attracting more container ships to utilize the vital global shipping route. Under the Authority’s latest circular, container vessels with a net tonnage over 130,000 tons, loaded or empty, are now eligible for a 15% discount on transit fees for a three-month period.
The CMA CGM ZEPHYR, measuring 366 meters in length and 51 meters in width with a draft of 53 feet, carried 11,800 TEU containers during its passage. Its transit underscores the success of recent incentives in drawing shipping lines back to the canal after regional disruptions.
Chairman Osama Rabie reaffirmed the Suez Canal’s commitment to maintaining smooth navigation despite tensions in the Red Sea region. He emphasized the canal’s new, flexible pricing strategies and expanded maritime and logistics services designed to meet the evolving needs of shipping lines, both in routine and emergency circumstances.
Since the rollout of these incentives, six voyages by CMA CGM vessels and four from MSC lines have resumed transit through the Suez Canal, a clear sign of major operators’ confidence in the canal’s continued reliability and strategic importance.