According to the SCA, the vessel, whose gross tonnage is 61, tons, is metres in length and 44 metres in width. Lieutenant General Osama Rabie, Chairman of the SCA, stated that the tanker's return to the Suez Canal sends a message of reassurance about the safety of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb region, which has significantly improved recently.
It constitutes a step toward restoring stability and ensuring freedom of maritime navigation. In addition, Rabie emphasized that resuming ship transits through the Suez Canal proves that no sustainable alternative exists to the canal. He asserted that the Suez Canal remains the first choice for major shipping lines.
However, he noted that shipping companies are still closely monitoring the improving stability of the situation in the Red Sea before resuming full-scale transit operations. High maritime transport costs via the Cape of Good Hope , the absence of necessary navigation services, and the environmental risks of increased carbon emissions from higher fuel consumption make the Suez Canal the preferred route for global shipping lines.
Since November , the Houthis in Yemen have launched missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden on nearly merchant vessels, which they deemed to be associated with Israel, the UK, and the US, citing solidarity with the Palestinians against Israel's barbaric war on Gaza. However, following the Gaza ceasefire in early January, they announced they would limit their attacks to Israeli-affiliated ships, suspending operations against other vessels.
FR AR. Books Home Reviews News. Oil Tanker Chrysalis passing through the Suez canal. Photo by Suez Canal Authority. Short link:.
