Panama Canal increases daily Neopanamax vessel reservations

The seven daily booking slots for Neopanamax vessels are offered in addition to the 23 slots available daily for transit through the Panamax locks.    The Panama Canal has increased the number of daily booking slots available for Neopanamax vessels from six to seven, effective Dec. 1, according to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), which manages, operates and maintains the canal.
   The seven daily booking slots for Neopanamax vessels are offered in addition to the 23 slots available each day for transit through the Panamax locks and are part of the canal taking advantage of the additional capacity allowed for by the new, larger locks that opened in late June of 2016.
   “This increase is the direct result of our efficient, streamlined use of resources and effective collaboration as we meet the growing demand for transits through the Expanded Canal,” Panama Canal Administrator Jorge Quijano explained in a prepared statement. “We are excited to offer the additional capacity.”
   The additional slot is now available for ships transiting northbound from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, with container ships having preference over other vessel types when allocating these additional slots.
   Although the daily booking slots are currently capped at seven, the Neopanamax locks can transit additional ships beyond the number of slots allotted if needed. For example, the expanded canal transited a record 10 Neopanamax ships on Nov. 17 and provides daily performance that far exceeds the three to four daily transits ACP says were originally expected.
   The Panama Canal is said to be exploring even more ways to expand its capacity, including working toward the goal of offering eight Neopanamax reservation slots by the end of the first quarter of 2018 and, according to the canal authority, gradually implementing additional measures to increase capacity through 2019.