The Panama Canal has announced temporary changes to its Neopanamax Transit Reservation System, providing shipping companies with greater flexibility in securing transit slots.
The new rules take effect on 30 August 2026 for booking dates beginning 13 September 2026.
The Panama Canal Authority said the measures aim to improve access to available capacity while supporting efficient water use as the canal continues to face a water deficit in its watershed.
Panama Canal increases booking flexibility
Under the revised rules, Neopanamax customers will be allowed to secure more than one reservation slot for the same booking date.
Customers will also be able to obtain reservations for two or more consecutive booking dates.
These changes temporarily remove some of the restrictions introduced under Advisory A-28-2026.
A total of 63 Neopanamax reservation slots per week will be available. This total includes slots allocated through the Long-Term Slot Allocation (LoTSA) and NetZero programmes.
Customers will also be able to swap or substitute vessels after receiving a slot.
However, the replacement vessel must have the same or greater Transit TEU Allowance (TTA) capacity. Applicable customer limits must also be respected.
Vessels operating under alliances or vessel-sharing agreements can participate in eligible swaps and substitutions under the same conditions.
Booking date changes may also be permitted if they do not cause customers to exceed their applicable slot limits.
Minimum five daily slots for containerships
The revised system introduces minimum allocations for different vessel segments.
Full containerships will receive at least five slots per booking date, with allocation based on the vessels’ TTA capacity.
LPG carriers will receive at least three slots per booking date. LNG carriers will also receive a minimum of three slots per booking date. Both will be allocated based on customer ranking.
Vehicle carriers/RoRo vessels, bulkers and other vessel categories will each receive a minimum of three slots per week, also based on customer ranking.
If demand within a particular segment is insufficient, unused capacity will be redistributed to other eligible vessel categories.
The Panama Canal said this approach is designed to prevent available capacity from going unused while maintaining defined allocation criteria.
Auction slots remain outside customer limits
Customer slot limits can only be exceeded when no other customer within the same market segment is competing for the available capacity.
However, slots secured through the auction process will remain exempt from these limits.
The daily auction slot will continue to be offered from capacity remaining after the market segment competitions when Booking Period 3 opens.
Water deficit continues to affect Panama Canal
The changes come as the Panama Canal continues to manage a water deficit across its watershed.
The authority is encouraging customers to use the reservation system when planning their voyages.
A confirmed reservation remains the only way to guarantee a specific transit date. Vessels arriving without reservations could face delays depending on demand and available capacity.
The Panama Canal said the temporary measures seek to balance reliable transit services and equitable access to capacity with responsible management of available water resources.
