CMA CGM has upgraded the capacity of the ships deployed on its Asia-Med Phoenician Express (BEX2) service from the 8,500-11,500 teu scale to larger ships of 13,100-15,500 teu. The 13,136 teu CMA CGM COBALT was the first of the upsized ships to join the service on 26 March 2025, and has been followed by the larger 15,536 teu CMA CGM OSIRIS on 2 May 2025. The BEX2 service is the largest service on the Suez Canal, and the use of the larger ships will allow CMA CGM to enjoy the 15% discount on tran
CMA CGM has redirected a ship on the Europe Pakistan India Consortium (EPIC) service to the Suez route despite the escalation in the Middle East conflict since 13 June 2025. The 11,388 teu CMA CGM AQUILA is heading from Algeciras to the Red Sea and is scheduled to transit the Suez Canal on 17 June 2025 before calling at Jeddah on 20 June, Abu Dhabi on 28 June and Jebel Ali on 30 June. The shorter Suez route will allow CMA CGM to cut the transit time from Europe to Abu Dhabi by about 10 days and
CMA CGM will return to the Suez route on the Med Express (MEDEX) service from June 2025 with a new rotation calling at Abu Dhabi, Jebel Ali, Karachi (temporarily omitted), Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Colombo, Jeddah, Piraeus, Malta, Genoa, Fos, Barcelona, Valencia, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi. The new rotation will turn in 10 weeks using 10 ships of 6,000 to 10,000 teu operated by CMA CGM starting with the 9,658 teu CMA CGM PELLEAS at Abu Dhabi on 27 May 2025. The first MEDEX westbound transit on the Suez is sc
The 11,388 teu CMA CGM COLUMBA is scheduled to make an eastbound Suez transit on 23 January 2025 after having passed through Suez on 6 December 2024 on its westbound voyage for the Europe Pakistan India Consortium (EPIC) service that CMA CGM jointly operates with COSCO and OOCL. A CMA CGM spokesperson said that the 2 Suez voyages were ad hoc sailings and the company is closely monitoring the ongoing developments. The EPIC service has been re-routed to the Cape route since 2024 and currently ope
CMA CGM has retained the Suez routing for its Asia-Med Phoenician Express (BEX2) service despite escalating tensions in the Middle East over the past week after Israeli forces attacked the port of Hodeidah in Yemen on 20 July in retaliation for the Houthi drone attack that hit Tel Aviv on 19 July 2024. The Phoenician Express (BEX2) calls at Shanghai, Ningbo, Busan, Shekou, Singapore, (Suez Canal), Alexandria, Beirut, Tripoli, Koper, Trieste, Rijeka, Alexandria, Jeddah, Port Klang, Shekou, Shang
CMA CGM has resumed full Suez Canal transits on the Asia-Med Phoenician Express (BEX2) service from the end of April 2024, becoming the first mainstream Asia-Europe service to return to the Suez since the Red Sea crisis escalated in December 2023. The service is one of 4 OCEAN Alliance services on the Asia-Med route and is marketed as the PHOEX/BEX2 by CMA CGM, AEM6 by COSCO, AAS by OOCL and BEX2 by Evergreen. The service was previously operated with a mixed fleet of ships from the 3 OCEAN Alli
The number of containerships diverted from the Suez to the Cape Route has surged to 125 units compared to 44 a week ago, including 16 ships that turned back in the Red Sea to the Med after making their southbound Suez passage. The record number of diversions far exceeds the number of ships that were diverted during the EVER GIVEN incident on the Suez Canal in March 2021 when less than 20 ships were diverted. While the previous Suez blockage in 2021 lasted barely 7 days, the impact of the current
The missile attack on NUMBER 9, an OOCL operated ship on 3 December has broadened the threat to all ships passing through the Red Sea, even those that have no links to Israel. Zim has already diverted its ships from the Suez to the longer Cape of Good Hope, while Maersk has also diverted 2 ships chartered from Israeli interests following the attack on the CMA CGM SYMI on 25 November. Among 3 ships attacked in Red Sea the past Sunday (3 Dec), the 4,253 teu NUMBER 9 that was targeted by the miss