The Suez Canal witnessed a significant maritime event on Tuesday with the transit of the giant container ship CMA CGM VENDOME for the first time in its history, RT reported.
The vessel was part of the northbound convoy traveling from France to Malaysia.
The Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, Osama Rabie, announced that the ship belonging to the French shipping line CMA CGM, is one of the newest and largest container ships in the world.
It is approximately 400 meters long and 61.3 meters wide, with a gross tonnage of 244,000 tons and a capacity of up to 24,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).
He explained that the ship is equipped with liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel tanks with a capacity of 18,600 cubic meters, enabling it to undertake long-distance voyages between Asia and Europe with high operational efficiency and lower emissions.
The ship operates within the Ocean Alliance’s FAL III service, which connects Far Eastern ports with Northwest Europe, and this voyage is the first southbound transit of this service through the Suez Canal since January 2026.
‘New reality’
The Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority pointed out that recent geopolitical developments have imposed a new reality on global trade and supply chains.
The reduction in transit times and the significant savings in fuel consumption and operating costs have reaffirmed the Suez Canal’s superiority over alternative routes, most notably the Cape of Good Hope, Rabie said.
He emphasized that the passage of the giant vessel is clear evidence of the Suez Canal’s strategic importance and its ability to accommodate the largest and most modern container ships in the world, making it the most efficient and sustainable route for trade between East and West.
Rabie revealed that the CMA CGM shipping line executed approximately 104 voyages through the canal between January and May, carrying a total of 12.5 million tons of cargo.
This reflects its continued confidence in and reliance on the Suez Canal as one of the most important international waterways.
The Suez Canal is one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes, handling approximately 12 percent of global trade.
Connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, it offers the shortest and fastest maritime route between Asia and Europe compared to the Cape of Good Hope route, which adds thousands of nautical miles and several days to the journey time.
