Editing Suez Canal (section)

== Alternative routes ==
Before the canal's opening in 1869, goods were sometimes offloaded from ships and carried overland between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.<ref>''Overland Mail'' by [[Thomas Fletcher Waghorn]], ''Railway Alexandria – Cairo – Suez'' built by [[Robert Stephenson]]</ref>

=== Cape Agulhas ===
The main alternative is around [[Cape Agulhas]], the southernmost point of Africa, commonly referred to as the [[Cape of Good Hope]] route. This was the only sea route before the canal was constructed, and when the canal was closed. It is still the only route for ships that are [[Capesize|too large]] for the canal. In the early 21st century, the Suez Canal has suffered from diminished traffic due to [[piracy in Somalia]], with many shipping companies choosing to take the long route instead.<ref>Liam Stack, [http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2008/1121/p99s01-wome.html Arab countries meet to tackle Somali pirate threat] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125113917/http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2008/1121/p99s01-wome.html |date=25 January 2011 }} – ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (21 November 2008).</ref><ref>Louis Wasser, [http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Somali-piracy-costs-Suez-Canal-business-3163446.php Somali piracy costs Suez Canal business] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112155951/http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Somali-piracy-costs-Suez-Canal-business-3163446.php |date=12 January 2018 }}, ''San Francisco Chronicle'' (29 April 2009).</ref> Between 2008 and 2010, it is estimated that the canal lost 10% of traffic due to the threat of piracy, and another 10% due to the [[2008 financial crisis]]. An [[oil tanker]] going from Saudi Arabia to the United States has {{cvt|2700|mi|0|order=flip}} farther to go when taking the route south of Africa rather than the canal.<ref>{{cite report |url=http://oceansbeyondpiracy.org/documents/The_Economic_Cost_of_Piracy_Full_Report.pdf |title=The Economic Cost of Maritime Piracy |last=Bowden |first=Anna |date=December 2010 |page=13 |access-date=26 February 2011 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120629210819/http://oceansbeyondpiracy.org/documents/The_Economic_Cost_of_Piracy_Full_Report.pdf |archive-date=29 June 2012 |url-status=unfit |display-authors=et al |series=One Earth Future Working Paper}}</ref>

=== Northern Sea Route ===
[[File:Northern Sea Route vs Southern Sea Route.svg|thumb|A graphical comparison between the [[Northern Sea Route]] (blue) and an alternative route through Suez Canal (red)]]

In recent years, the [[Climate change in the Arctic|shrinking]] [[Arctic]] [[sea ice]] has made the [[Northern Sea Route]] feasible for commercial cargo ships between Europe and East Asia during a six-to-eight-week window in the summer months, shortening the voyage by thousands of kilometres compared to that through the Suez Canal. According to polar climate researchers, as the extent of the Arctic summer ice pack recedes the route will become passable without the help of [[icebreaker]]s for a greater period each summer.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.husdal.com/2011/05/22/the-final-frontier-the-northern-sea-route|title=The Final Frontier: The Northern Sea Route|date=2015-09-12|website=huskal.com|doi=10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2011.03.003 |access-date=2024-11-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://asiancorrespondent.com/39881/bye-bye-pirates-hello-north-east-passage | publisher = AsianCorrespondent.com | title = Bye pirates, hello Northeast Passage | date = 3 January 2010 | access-date = 29 May 2011 | archive-date = 9 August 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110809143722/http://asiancorrespondent.com/39881/bye-bye-pirates-hello-north-east-passage/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

The [[Bremen]]-based [[Beluga Group]] claimed in 2009 to be the first Western company to attempt using the Northern Sea Route without assistance from icebreakers, cutting {{convert|4000|mi|km|order=flip}} off the journey between [[Ulsan]], [[Korea]] and [[Rotterdam]], the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.barentsobserver.com/german-vessels-ready-for-the-northern-sea-route.4616626-16175.html |publisher=BarentsObserver.com |title=German vessels ready for the Northern Sea Route |date=5 August 2009 |access-date=21 September 2009 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110106161908/http://www.barentsobserver.com/german-vessels-ready-for-the-northern-sea-route.4616626-16175.html |archive-date=6 January 2011 }}</ref>

=== Cape Horn ===
Sailing ships, such as the [[windjammer]]s in the heyday of the [[Grain race|Great Grain Race]] between Australia and Europe during the 1930s, often preferred the [[Cape Horn]] route when going to Europe, due to prevalent wind directions, even though it is slightly longer from Sydney to Europe this way than past Cape Agulhas.

=== Negev desert railway ===
In February 2012, Israel announced its intention to construct [[High-speed railway to Eilat|a railway]] between the Mediterranean and [[Eilat]] through the [[Negev]] desert to compete with the canal.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.e24.ee/728858/iisrael-ehitab-vahemere-ja-punase-mere-vahele-raudtee/ | publisher = E24.ee | title = Iisrael ehitab Vahemere ja Punase mere vahele raudtee |trans-title=Israel is building a railway between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea |language = et |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140430082809/http://e24.postimees.ee/728858/iisrael-ehitab-vahemere-ja-punase-mere-vahele-raudtee| archive-date = 30 April 2014 | date = 5 February 2012|access-date=25 November 2020}}</ref> By 2019, the project had been put on indefinite hold.<ref name="Globes">{{cite news |last=Barket |first=Amiram |title=Millions squandered on unrealistic projects |url=https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-millions-squandered-on-unrealistic-projects-1001270696 |access-date=25 November 2020 |work=Globes |date=28 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806163149/https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-millions-squandered-on-unrealistic-projects-1001270696 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |location=Rishon Le-Zion, Israel}}</ref>