Yang Ming and OOCL eye Suez Canal return as carrier traffic increases.

Yang Ming and OOCL are considering further moves back to the Suez Canal, while COSCO plans additional transits as major container lines gradually increase their use of the waterway.

The developments were discussed during a meeting between Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairman Admiral Ossama Rabiee and representatives of 20 major shipping lines and agencies on September 23.

According to the SCA, Yang Ming is seriously considering returning to the Canal in the near future. OOCL also intends to return, with an experimental transit expected during October.

COSCO plans additional Suez transits

COSCO is also considering increasing its voyages through the Canal following the recent successful transit of one of its affiliated container vessels. Hany El-Sallamy, General Manager at COSCO, said three additional vessels affiliated with the shipping line are scheduled to transit the Canal in the coming period.

The development follows the southbound transit of the 24,188-TEU OOCL Portugal through the Suez Canal on September 16, which marked another step in the gradual return of container services to the route.

Maersk and CMA CGM increase Canal activity

Maersk has recorded a significant increase in Suez Canal transits compared with last year. Hany El Nady, A.P. Moller-Maersk Group Representative in the Middle East and North Africa, said the carrier’s transits increased from eight in September 2025 to 67 in September 2026. He also said Maersk expects the number of yearly transits to reach 278 in the future, although the SCA statement did not specify a timeframe for that figure.

CMA CGM, meanwhile, said 60 of its vessels passed through the Canal during September. Tarek Zaghloul, CEO of CMA CGM Group in Egypt and Sudan, said the carrier has continued using the Canal since Red Sea tensions began, describing Suez as the shortest and fastest route for its operations.

SCA points to return of maritime services

Rabiee said a significant number of maritime services operated by major shipping lines have returned to the Suez Canal, attributing the development to flexible pricing policies and continued communication with customers. He added that the Canal’s operational system is at an elevated level of readiness and said navigation is proceeding smoothly.

The SCA continues to monitor regional developments and their potential impact on Canal traffic through its Crisis Management Center and Economic Research Unit. The latest carrier comments provide further indications of a gradual return to Suez, although individual shipping lines continue to make routing decisions based on their own operational and security assessments.