The prolonged dry season is a natural phenomenon that affects many regions, including the Panama Canal. While we can't control nature, we can adapt our operations to ensure a competitive flow of vessels.
Our Adaptative Approach
The standard offering of reservations comprises 23 booking slots for the Panamax locks. Under Condition 2, in scenarios involving a substantial reduction in capacity (such as lane closures for maintenance), the allocation is reduced to 16 booking slots.
Meanwhile, under Condition 3, as currently being implemented, the booking slots are limited to 14 in total (comprising 10 slots for super-sized vessels and 4 slots for regular-sized vessels).
This allows us to manage congestion and ensures ships en route or in queue, which haven't secured reservations, can still transit in competitive time frames. It should be noted that transits through the Neopanamax locks maintain their regular average of 10 transits per day, so these have not been impacted by the measure.
High Demand Reflects Competitiveness
Despite the challenges and the measures we've had to take, the high demand for the Panama Canal's services showcases the confidence the global shipping community places in us. It underscores our competitiveness and the vital role we play in global trade.
Current Transit Data
To provide perspective, as of today, we have around 120 vessels waiting for transit.
For this month, the average waiting time for unbooked transits is between 9 and 11 days.
