Panama Canal reports record number of large ships

Panama Canal reports record number of large ships    The Panama Canal Authority said Thursday a record 164 ships with lengths 900 feet or more transited the canal in October.
   The large vessel transits for October, which is the first month of the ACP's fiscal year, surpassed the record of 159 set in December 2006. The October numbers also included a new record for transits per day by 900-plus-foot vessels. The average of 5.29 large vessels per day, breaks the previous record of 5.17 per day in November 2006.
   'These record-breaking transit numbers depict true commitment from the ACP's employees, who work tirelessly to achieve the highest level of performance — day in, day out,' said Manuel Benitez, ACP executive vice president of operations. 'Our employees have responded to the rise in demand with heightened efficiency and they inspire great confidence that the canal will continue to offer unparalleled service to its customers well into the future.'