Panama Canal improves transit times

Panama Canal improves transit times    The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said transit times improved 16 percent and its booking reservations increased 3 percent during its fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 31.
   The average transit time decreased to 20.57 hours from 24.51 hours. Vessel that used the advanced booking system increased to 88.8 percent of all transits, up from 85.7 percent.
   The overall number of transits decreased 1.9 percent to 3,299 transits. Officials said the decrease in total transits reflected the increase in usage by large vessels, which reduces the groups of small vessels that also use the canal for passage between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
   This quarter, overall canal transits decreased 1.9 percent to 3,299 transits from 3,363, though PC/UMS tonnage increased on account of larger vessels. Transits by vessels 900 feet or more in length increased 11.4 percent.