French shipping giant CMA CGM is preparing to resume a full service loop through the Suez Canal and Red Sea, becoming the first major carrier to formally restore one of its east–west routes since Houthi attacks forced global container lines to divert around the Cape of Good Hope last year.
The company confirmed that its INDAMEX service, which connects India, Pakistan and the U.S. East Coast, will again transit the Suez Canal on both fronthaul and backhaul legs. The first vessel to make the complete loop will be CMA CGM VERDI, sailing from Karachi to New York on January 15.
Xeneta’s Chief Analyst Peter Sand said that this decision is a positive development but does not mean the industry is ready for an immediate large-scale return to the Red Sea. He explained that carriers, especially CMA CGM, had been trying out limited Suez transits in recent months, mainly on backhaul voyages to Asia when ships had less cargo onboard.
Read more in an article from Marine Insight.