Effective October 6, 2026, the Suez Canal Authority mandates inspections for vessels aged 25 and older to enhance safety and compliance.
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has implemented new safety and technical inspection requirements for vessels aged 25 years and older to transit the canal. Under the regulation that came into effect on October 6, 2026, vessels that have reached the specified age limit must undergo comprehensive technical inspections and tests to obtain transit permission.
The directive prepared by the Suez Canal Authority's Operations Department encompasses various types of vessels, ranging from tankers to container ships, bulk carriers to general cargo ships, and has been communicated to ship agents.
The new application particularly requires shipowners operating older vessels to consider additional control processes and the associated costs in their voyage planning.
According to the new directive, vessels that are 25 years or older since their construction date will be subjected to a comprehensive inspection and testing process before obtaining transit permission through the Suez Canal.
Shipowners and operators are required to pay the fees set for these procedures before transit.
Thus, the technical condition assessment of older vessels has become one of the prerequisites for canal transit permission.
The application covers vessels that meet the age criteria regardless of the type of cargo they carry.
The regulation also provides for inspection exemptions under certain conditions if the same vessel uses the Suez Canal again in a short period.
Accordingly, a vessel that has undergone comprehensive inspections and tests will not have to repeat the same procedures if it returns to the canal within six months from the last inspection date.
However, for this exemption to be applicable, there must not have been any faults, technical defects, or negative technical findings detected or recorded on the vessel since the previous inspection.
If the six-month period is exceeded or the exemption conditions are not met, the need for re-inspection and testing will arise.
The new rules are particularly significant for operators who engage in irregular services with vessels over 25 years old.
The technical processes that must be completed before canal transit may require additional preparation time in the vessels' voyage schedules.
The Suez Canal Authority has not yet disclosed detailed tariffs regarding the inspection fees and the duration of the processes.
Therefore, it is currently impossible to accurately calculate the costs that the application will impose per vessel and the potential waiting times.
The total tonnage of vessels aged 25 years and older in the international maritime transport fleet has significantly increased in recent years.
According to Clarksons Research data, the total of vessels aged 25 years and older in the global trade fleet has surpassed 150 million gross tons. The tonnage in this category has increased by 75% over the last five years, while the total of vessels over 30 years old has reached 68 million gross tons.
The growth in aging vessel tonnage emphasizes the importance of technical maintenance, class inspections, operational reliability, and navigational safety practices in the maritime sector.
The new application is also significant for shipowners and operators in Turkey.
Vessels owned or operated by Turkish entities that operate between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea and are 25 years or older will be subject to the same inspection conditions as vessels from other countries.
It is particularly important for operators engaged in tramp shipping to review the technical preparations and necessary documents of their vessels before planning Suez transits.
The new rules do not completely prohibit the transit of vessels through the Suez Canal based on age. However, they require the verification of technical suitability and the completion of necessary tests prior to transit for vessels aged 25 years and older.
The regulation put into effect by the Suez Canal Authority on October 6 adds a new inspection phase to the canal's navigational safety practices while broadening the scope of voyage preparations for companies operating older vessels.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
