Panama Canal changes booking rules for greater flexibility

September 4 ------ The Panama Canal is temporarily changing its reservation system for Neopanamax vessels, giving customers greater flexibility while seeking to improve the distribution of available transit capacity and manage water resources more efficiently.

The changes took effect on 30 August 2026, for booking dates beginning September 13. Under the revised system, Neopanamax customers will be allowed to secure more than one reservation slot on the same booking date and reserve slots on two or more consecutive dates. The changes temporarily lift certain restrictions previously set out under Advisory A-28-2026.

The Canal will offer 63 Neopanamax reservation slots each week, including capacity allocated through its Long-Term Slot Allocation (LoTSA) and NetZero programs.

Customers will also be able to swap or substitute vessels after receiving a slot, provided the replacement vessel has the same or greater Transit TEU Allowance (TTA) capacity and applicable customer limits are respected. Eligible vessels operating under alliances or vessel-sharing agreements may also participate in swaps and substitutions.

The revised system also introduces minimum slot allocations for key market segments to support more balanced access to capacity. Full Container vessels will receive at least five slots per booking date, while LPG and LNG vessels will each receive at least three. Vehicle Carriers/RoRo, Bulkers and Other segments will receive a minimum of three slots per week.

If demand in a particular segment is insufficient to use its allocated capacity, remaining slots will be redistributed to other eligible market segments. Any unallocated capacity will remain available during the relevant booking period.

The Canal will continue to apply customer limits and transparent allocation criteria, while auction slots will remain outside those limits. The daily auction slot will continue to be made available from the remaining capacity of the market segment competitions at the opening of Booking Period 3.

"While the water deficit in the canal watershed continues, customers are strongly encouraged to plan transits through the reservation system. A confirmed reservation remains the only means of guaranteeing a specific transit date. Vessels arriving without a reservation may experience delays depending on demand and available capacity."

Source: safety4sea.com