The statement did not give a breakdown for April but Suez Canal Authority Chairman Mohab Mameesh said on March 31 that revenues came to $423.9 million in March.

Officials from the authority were not available for comment.

The canal is the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia and one of the Egyptian government's main sources of foreign currency.

Egypt has been struggling to revive its economy since a 2011 uprising scared away many tourists and foreign investors, key sources of hard currency.