According to the Chairman of the SCA, Osama Rabie, the trial involved the passage of two ships through the newly dredged waterway, which extends from kilometre marker 122 to kilometre marker 132 on the canal's numbering system.

Rabie explained that the trial operation saw the transit of the bulk carrier FU XING HAI and the ship SUVARI BEY through the new waterway in the Little Bitter Lakes region as part of the southbound convoy.

This was conducted in parallel with the transit of four ships through the eastern side of the original canal.

These vessels included the container ship MATHILDE SCHULTE, the multipurpose COSCO SHIPPING TENG DA, the bulk carrier YANGTZE ALPHA, and the ship RUI FU CHENG.

Rabie highlighted the measures taken to ensure the trial's success in a statement.

These included equipping the new waterway with buoys and other navigational aids, deploying two escort tugboats for maritime safety, and assigning highly skilled canal pilots to guide the ships.

To ensure safe passage, the canal pilots conducted site inspections and performed a simulation exercise at the Maritime Training and Simulation Academy.

Rabie emphasized that developing both aspects of the southern sector represents a significant milestone for the Suez Canal as it will enhance navigational safety by mitigating the effects of water and wind currents on transiting ships.
 

The project to create a dual passageway in the Little Bitter Lakes region offers numerous advantages, including adding 10 kilometres of dual passage to the Suez Canal and increasing the length of the New Suez Canal, inaugurated in 2015, to 82 kilometres from 72 previously.

This expansion will boost the canal's capacity by 6 to 8 additional ships per day and improve its ability to handle potential emergencies.

In addition, Rabie issued instructions for the SCA's Movement Management Department to coordinate with the Egyptian Navy's Hydrographic Department to issue updated navigational charts for the canal that will incorporate the new 10-kilometre dual passageway between kilometre markers 122 and 132 in the Little Bitter Lakes region.

The SCA stated that the new section's full operational use will commence upon the issuance of the updated charts.