The giant container ship CMA CGM PANTHEON made its maiden voyage through the Suez Canal on Tuesday, carrying a net tonnage of 221,000 tonnes, as the canal authority reported a sharp rise in crossings by medium-sized and large CMA CGM vessels.
The ship crossed the canal in the northbound convoy, sailing from Morocco to Malaysia. Another CMA CGM vessel, the CMA CGM MONTE CRISTI, also crossed the canal in the same convoy.
The transit came as Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairman Admiral Osama Rabie held a videoconference with CMA CGM Executive Vice-President for Assets and Operations Christine Cabau and the group’s chief executive in Egypt and Sudan, Tarek Zaghloul, to discuss the French shipping group’s transit policies and ways to further boost co-operation.
The meeting was part of regular consultations aimed at encouraging international shipping lines to return fully to the Suez Canal.
Rabie stressed that the waterway was capable of accommodating 100 per cent of the world’s container ship fleet.
He also highlighted mounting pressure on global supply chains amid current challenges, which have driven up fuel prices and freight rates.
The SCA is committed to providing integrated maritime and logistical services to maintain the canal’s position as the shortest, fastest, most efficient and sustainable route, he said.
According to Rabie, the canal traffic data showed a significant increase in crossings by medium-sized and large CMA CGM container ships, with vessels in these categories exceeding 130,000 tonnes in capacity.
Over the period July-September 2026, a total of 166 such vessels crossed the canal, with combined net tonnage of 29 million tonnes, compared with just 16 vessels carrying a combined net tonnage of 2.4 million tonnes during the same period in 2025.
