The new Suez Canal witnessed Thursday its first operation with two large ships crossing in both directions, Al-Bawaba News reported. The first container ship MAERSK's "Marco Polo" crossed the canal coming from Suez Port heading to Port Said, raising Luxembourg flag, weighing 77, 000 tons with a 42.7 feet draft. Now, ships traveling in opposite directions will be able to pass through the canal simultaneously, rather than having to wait, wasting fuel and time. Egyptian officials have said that the expansion will double the canal's traffic and more than double its revenue, to $13.2 billion, by 2023, Sky News reported.