Suez Canal witnesses first transit of giant container ship CMA CGM VENDÔME

CAIRO – 9 June 2026: Lieutenant General Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, announced that the giant container ship CMA CGM VENDÔME transited the canal on Tuesday on its maiden voyage. The vessel was part of the northbound convoy, traveling from France to Malaysia.

The ship, which belongs to the French shipping line CMA CGM, is 399.9 meters long, 61.3 meters wide, and has a draft of 16 meters. It has a gross tonnage of 244,000 tons and a carrying capacity of up to 24,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The vessel is equipped with an 18,600-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel tank, enabling it to undertake long-distance voyages between Asia and Europe.

The vessel operates within the FAL 3 service of the OCEAN Alliance, serving the trade route between the Far East and Northwest Europe. This voyage marks the first southbound transit of the service through the Suez Canal since its last similar voyage in January 2026.

The Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority directed that all necessary measures and procedures be taken to ensure the vessel's safe passage. These included assigning a team of senior pilots and providing navigational assistance through accompanying tugboats.

In accordance with the Suez Canal Authority's protocol for vessels transiting the canal for the first time, Lieutenant General Osama Rabie delegated Captain Mahmoud Khairat Agiz, Chief Pilot, and Captain Mabrouk Rashad Mabrouk, Chief Pilot, to board the vessel, welcome its crew, and present a commemorative gift to the ship's captain.

Lieutenant General Rabie affirmed that geopolitical challenges in the region have created new realities for the maritime transport market and global supply chains, making shorter transit times and operational savings key factors in attracting the world's largest and most advanced container ships back to the Suez Canal instead of the Cape of Good Hope route.

He emphasized that the transit of CMA CGM VENDÔME clearly reflects the strategic importance of the Suez Canal and its readiness to accommodate the world's newest and largest container ships, reinforcing its position as the most efficient and sustainable route for global trade between East and West.

Lieutenant General Rabie added that CMA CGM vessels made 104 transits through the canal between January and May 2026, carrying a total cargo volume of 12.5 million tons. This, he said, confirms the shipping line's continued reliance on the canal and underscores its status as one of the world's most important waterways.

The Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority also noted that the authority has significantly enhanced its maritime and navigational services in recent years by introducing new services designed to meet customer needs and ensure the highest standards of maritime safety for large vessels.

For his part, Captain Daniel Martin, the ship's master, said that the French CMA CGM Group's routing policy is based on selecting the most efficient route to serve customer interests. He emphasized that transiting the Suez Canal remains the preferred option compared with taking the Cape of Good Hope route.

Captain Martin noted that sailing through the Suez Canal offers several advantages, most notably reduced travel time and lower fuel consumption. He added that the canal provides a safe and smooth passage, unlike the Cape of Good Hope route, where adverse weather conditions often require vessels to reduce speed and extend voyage times.