Two CMA CGM containerships, Laperouse and Titan, witnessed the major international event of the inaugural procession of the New Suez Canal.
CMA CGM Group, a leading worldwide shipping group, pompously announced that the CMA CGM LAPEROUSE and the CMA CGM TITAN have taken the leading positions at the head of the vessel procession during the inaugural ceremony of New Suez Canal, held on Thursday, August, 6.
The CMA CGM Group is the third largest container shipping company having its eleven leading shipping lines transiting through the Suez Canal. As a vital partner of the Canal, the Group had two of its vessels, sailing at the head of the inaugural procession.
The new Suez Canal epitomizes an important route for CMA CGM vessels each day by serving the world’s main markets due to the following facts:
- 8% of the world commercial exchanges go through the Canal.
- Group has been crossing the canal since 1983
- 637 CMA CGM vessels sailed the canal in 2014.
- Approximately, 1 CMA CGM vessel sails in each direction of the Suez Canal every day.
Egypt celebrated the inauguration of the New Suez Canal with 5,000 prestigious guests on August 6. The geostrategic location of the Canal has drawn the interest of politics and international companies’ for this event. This landmark event is to celebrate the speedy completion of the 12 months works, which initially expected to last from three to five years for the waterways restoration. The restoration work at canal has doubled the canal on 31 miles and enlarged on 22 miles.
The accomplishment of new Suez Canal works within a year is an evidence of the President Al-Sissi’s “New Egypt” and of the Egyptian government’s commitment to increasing the traffic transiting the Suez Canal. The authorities are hopeful for ambitious transits forecasts where around 700 containerships with a capacity of 18,000 containers each should be transiting the Suez Canal in 2015.
Source: CMA CGM
