CAIRO — The Suez Canal recorded the highest monthly revenue in its history in April, more than half a billion dollars, despite the blockage of navigation in late March caused by a giant Panama-flagged vessel.

Navigation in the Suez Canal was blocked at the end of March when the Ever Given cargo ship ran aground on a narrow passageway of the international canal. It took six days for salvage crews to free the ship, after which navigation resumed in the canal.

In a report presented at a Cabinet meeting June 3 on the performance of the Egyptian economy, Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala al-Saeed said the Suez Canal had made an unprecedented achievement in recording its highest monthly revenue in April — $553.6 million, compared with $476 million in April 2020. This was an increase of 16%, despite the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and the ship blockage crisis in late March. She said this increase was due to the introduction of multiple alternatives to cater to the international shipping institutions, ship owners and operators, with flexible price packages for canal transit fees.

Revenues were $439.4 million in March.