The first units employed on the ‘new’ route will have a capacity between 8,000 and 10,000 TEU
CMA CGM ships will return to transiting the Suez Canal from the end of June, signalling cautious confidence amid ongoing regional risks.CMA CGM has secured protection from the French Navy for its vessels navigating the conflict area
Finalized plans to resume routing vessels
CMA CGM, the Marseille-based carrier, has finalized plans to resume routing vessels on its India-Middle East-Mediterranean service (MEDEX) through the traditional Suez Canal route, according to the Journal of Commerce (JOC).
The service on which the route to the Red Sea
The service on which the route to the Red Sea will be implemented, instead of the one that circumnavigates the Cape of Good Hope, will be the Medex, which connects the Middle East, India and the Mediterranean, touching the port of Genoa in Italy.
Medex Service
The news, reported in some specialized newspapers, is confirmed on the website of the French company, where a document dated May 2025 shows the planned new routes of Medex and the related transit times (for example, 39 days for the Nhava Sheva – Genoa route). The new rotation will therefore be: Jebel Ali – Mundra – Nhava Sheva – Colombo – Piraeus – Malta – Valencia – Barcelona – Fos – Genoa – Jeddah – Abu Dhabi.
Related : CMA CGM Acquires Borusan logistics arm for $440 mln
CMA CGM Palleas the first ship
More precisely, according to the same newspapers, the first container ship to return to the route will be the CMA CGM Palleas (about 10,000 TEU), which will depart from the port of Nhava Sheva on June 7, transiting the canal on June 28. Subsequently, the journey to the Red Sea will also be undertaken by the CMA CGM Nabucco (about 8,500 TEU) and the CMA CGM Titus (8,500 TEU), at the beginning of July according to Shipping Italy
Overall, Medex employs 10 CMACGM units on which COSCO, the Chinese carrier, will continue to participate as a slot charterer on CMA CGM ships, branching the service “Mina.” also loads its containers, on the basis of a slot agreement that according to the Journal of Commerce (JOC). covers in particular 1,000 TEU leaving Indian ports..
Notably, its East Asia-Mediterranean Phoenician Express (BEX2) and the Persian Gulf-Mediterranean Levant Middle East Express (LMX), both operated under the Ocean Alliance, have continued to use the Suez Canal.
Despite recent reports suggesting the de-escalation in Houthi attacks, other major carriers still consider the route high-risk. A broader shift of key trades, such as Asia-North Europe, back to the Suez would require stronger assurance of long-term regional stability.
