The carrier Evergreen has updated its latest sailing schedule indicating that CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN and CMA CGM ZHENG HE, both deployed under the FAL1 service within the OCEAN Alliance (CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL, and Evergreen), will transit the Suez Canal on their return voyages from Europe to Asia.
- CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN was planned to transit the Suez on October 30 (actual transit on Nov 1)
- CMA CGM ZHENG HE is scheduled for November 5 (forecasted to transit on Nov 9). She is currently at anchor in Gibraltar.
Each vessel has a capacity of 17,800 TEUs, operating on one of the key Asia–Europe loops. Both ships have faced delays at European ports amid ongoing congestion, prompting carriers to make schedule adjustments for recovery of schedule reliability.
This move is also seen as a cautious step to “test the waters” of the Suez Canal, evaluating the security and operational feasibility of routing mainline vessels through this corridor once again.
With several Asia–Europe services still opting for the Cape of Good Hope route due to risk assessments, these controlled transits could indicate a gradual re-evaluation of Suez Canal viability for westbound and eastbound sailings in the coming months.
eeSea Signals
- OCEAN - NEU4 || CMA - FAL1 | COSCO - AEU2 | EMC - FAL1 | OOCL - LL4
- CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
- CMA CGM ZHENG HE
- NXT Table
Source: eeSea