After months of avoiding the Red Sea, some shipping lines are beginning to test routes through the Suez Canal again. The shift follows a tentative ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which has temporarily reduced the risk of Houthi attacks on merchant vessels.
CMA CGM is among the first major carriers to return. The French line is sending two 17,859 TEU sister ships, CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin and CMA CGM Zheng He, on the Ocean Alliance’s NEU4 service from Europe to Asia. This marks the first alliance service to reenter the Red Sea since late 2023.
Ship trackers are also monitoring two sanctioned Russian vessels. The LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz, now in the Gulf of Aden, could become the first LNG carrier to pass through the Suez Canal in eight months. Earlier this week, another Russian ship, the aframax Komander, briefly ran aground near kilometer 48 of the canal after engine trouble.
The Houthis, who have carried out over 100 attacks on merchant ships since 2023, had justified their actions as support for Palestinians in Gaza. While there have been no reported attacks this month, renewed strikes in Gaza could threaten the fragile stability.Egyptian authorities say they are preparing for a gradual return of trade through the Suez Canal as the situation evolves. Shipowners and insurers remain on alert, waiting to see if the Red Sea will truly become safe again.
