Suez Canal sees third Maersk vessel transit since SCA-Maersk pact
With 185,000 tonnes gross tonnage, Maersk Astrid is the largest Maersk-operated container vessel to pass through the Canal in the past two years.
The container vessel Maersk Astrid has transited the Suez Canal on its first voyage through the waterway, becoming the third Maersk ship to pass through since the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) and the Danish group.
Lieutenant General Osama Rabie, Chairman and Managing Director of the SCA, said the transit reflects the strengthening cooperation between the two sides. The vessel follows the earlier passages of Maersk Sebarok in December and Maersk Denver in January.
Maersk Astrid had handled containers at the container terminal in East Port Said before bunkering environmentally friendly methanol and proceeding through the Canal as part of the north convoy on its voyage to Oman.
The vessel, affiliated to Maersk, is 350 metres long, with a beam of 54 metres and a draught of 14.8 metres. With a gross tonnage of 185,000 tonnes, it is the largest Maersk-affiliated container ship to transit the Canal in two years.
The voyage also marks the first transit of the ME-11 service, operating on the India/Middle East–Mediterranean trade route, since Gemini Cooperation — comprising Maersk Line and Hapag-Lloyd — announced the rerouting of the service via the Suez Canal in both directions instead of the Cape of Good Hope, effective from mid-February.
In accordance with SCA protocol for first-time transits, Captain Saeed Imam and Captain Ahmed Nossier, First Chief Pilots, boarded the vessel to welcome the crew and present a commemorative gift to the ship’s master on behalf of the Authority.
Rabie said that the commencement of rerouting the first shipping service affiliated to Gemini Cooperation represents a return to "the shortest and most sustainable route for global trade between East and West", adding that it reflects the commitment of major shipping lines to transiting through the Suez Canal.
He noted that the Authority has begun to reap the first fruits of its efforts to restore major shipping lines, emphasising the continuation of efforts to gradually increase navigation rates through sustained direct communication with clients and the adoption of flexible marketing policies.
According to the SCA, incentives and flexible marketing policies implemented during 2025 attracted 784 vessels with a total net tonnage of 36.6 million tonnes, generating revenues of $170.4 million.
Rabie also said that Maersk Astrid benefited from Navigational Circular No. (3/2025) concerning container ships, which grants a 15% toll reduction for container vessels with a net tonnage exceeding 130,000 tonnes, whether laden or in ballast. Since last May, the circular has attracted 64 vessels with a total net tonnage of 9.9 million tonnes, the Authority added.
Suez Canal sees third Maersk vessel transit under new pact
With 185,000 tonnes gross tonnage, Maersk Astrid is the largest Maersk-operated container vessel to pass through the Canal in the past two years.
The container vessel Maersk Astrid has transited the Suez Canal on its first voyage through the waterway, becoming the third Maersk ship to pass through since the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) and the Danish group.
Lieutenant General Osama Rabie, Chairman and Managing Director of the SCA, said the transit reflects the strengthening cooperation between the two sides. The vessel follows the earlier passages of Maersk Sebarok in December and Maersk Denver in January.
Maersk Astrid had handled containers at the container terminal in East Port Said before bunkering environmentally friendly methanol and proceeding through the Canal as part of the north convoy on its voyage to Oman.
The vessel, affiliated to Maersk, is 350 metres long, with a beam of 54 metres and a draught of 14.8 metres. With a gross tonnage of 185,000 tonnes, it is the largest Maersk-affiliated container ship to transit the Canal in two years.
The voyage also marks the first transit of the ME-11 service, operating on the India/Middle East–Mediterranean trade route, since Gemini Cooperation — comprising Maersk Line and Hapag-Lloyd — announced the rerouting of the service via the Suez Canal in both directions instead of the Cape of Good Hope, effective from mid-February.
In accordance with SCA protocol for first-time transits, Captain Saeed Imam and Captain Ahmed Nossier, First Chief Pilots, boarded the vessel to welcome the crew and present a commemorative gift to the ship’s master on behalf of the Authority.
Rabie said that the commencement of rerouting the first shipping service affiliated to Gemini Cooperation represents a return to "the shortest and most sustainable route for global trade between East and West", adding that it reflects the commitment of major shipping lines to transiting through the Suez Canal.
He noted that the Authority has begun to reap the first fruits of its efforts to restore major shipping lines, emphasising the continuation of efforts to gradually increase navigation rates through sustained direct communication with clients and the adoption of flexible marketing policies.
According to the SCA, incentives and flexible marketing policies implemented during 2025 attracted 784 vessels with a total net tonnage of 36.6 million tonnes, generating revenues of $170.4 million.
Rabie also said that Maersk Astrid benefited from Navigational Circular No. (3/2025) concerning container ships, which grants a 15% toll reduction for container vessels with a net tonnage exceeding 130,000 tonnes, whether laden or in ballast. Since last May, the circular has attracted 64 vessels with a total net tonnage of 9.9 million tonnes, the Authority added.