Suez Canal: 55 Ships Divert Route to Cape of Good Hope due to Red Sea Threats

Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority revealed that 55 ships belonging to major shipping lines diverted to cross the Cape of Good Hope route during the period from November 19 until today, stressing that it is a small percentage compared to the 2,128 ships that crossed the canal during that period.

Rabie stated Sunday that the navigation movement in the canal is regular, and that the Suez Canal is closely following the ongoing tensions in the Red Sea and studying the extent of their impact on the navigation movement in the canal in light of some shipping lines announcing that they will temporarily divert their routes to the main Good hope.

“Rabie” explained that the Suez Canal witnessed the crossing today of 77 ships with a total net tonnage of 4 million tons, including some ships belonging to shipping lines that announced temporarily diverting their routes from the Suez Canal.

 The ship MAERSK SAIGON and the ship CMA CGM CHRISTOPHE, COLOMB and the ship MSC FABIENNE crossed today as part of the southern convoy, in light of the presence of these ships in the Red Sea region before the announcement of the intention of these shipping lines to divert their flights to the Cape of Good Hope route.

The Chairman of the Authority stressed that the Suez Canal will remain the fastest and shortest route, as savings rates for flights heading through the Suez Canal between the continent of Asia and Europe range from 9 days to two weeks, according to the ports of departure and arrival.

This comes after nearly five shipping lines announced the suspension of their services in the Red Sea region, including Maersk Line, MSC, Habah Lloyd, and CMA, due to the attacks by the Houthis in Yemen.