Suez Canal container traffic: AIS data shows recovery remains uneven

AIS-derived data shared publicly by Alphaliner suggests that, despite headlines about large container ships returning to the Red Sea since the October ceasefire, overall Suez Canal container traffic has not yet recovered.

Total container ship transits in October–November reached 304 vessels, down from 331 in the same period last year — an 8.2% year-on-year drop. This contrasts with the first nine months of 2025, when total traffic through the Canal was still running 6.8% higher year-on-year.

The picture varies sharply by vessel size. Mid-size ships in the 4,000–7,500 TEU segment have been the only category to show a meaningful rebound, even posting a 127.8% year-on-year spike in September. Yet this still leaves the segment at under half of its pre-crisis traffic.

Larger ships tell a different story. The 15,000+ TEU class has seen only a modest increase in passages, while true Megamax vessels (18,000+ TEU) have avoided the Canal entirely for over 20 consecutive months. Smaller ships below 4,000 TEU show an accelerating decline, falling more than 27% year-on-year in November.

Alphaliner’s public AIS data highlights a simple reality: some traffic is returning, but a full restoration of Suez Canal container flows is still far off.

Source: Alphaliner