Panama Canal Raises Daily Transits to 33 and Maximum Neopanamax Draft to 49 Feet

• The Panama Canal is expanding transit capacity as water conditions at Gatun Lake improve. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced on September 28, 2026, that it will increase daily transit slots to 33 from 32 and raise the maximum authorised draft for vessels using the Neopanamax locks to 14.94 meters (49 feet) from 48 feet, following the recovery of Gatun Lake levels. The draft increase takes effect immediately, while a tenth daily Neopanamax slot will become available from October 15, 2026, according to Navigation Notice No. A-36-2026.
• The easing of restrictions reflects better water availability across the canal's watershed. The ACP attributed the improved operating conditions to rainfall recorded in the watershed during September, the implementation of water-saving measures at the locks and projections on the behaviour of Gatun Lake levels.
• The revised allocation keeps a mix of reserved and auctioned slots across all three vessel segments. The 33 daily slots will be distributed across 10 Neopanamax slots (nine through prior reservation periods and one via daily auction), 18 Panamax Super slots (17 through reservation periods and one via daily auction) and five Panamax Regular slots (four through reservation periods and one via daily auction).
• Alongside the capacity increase, the ACP has given customers greater flexibility in booking transits. The Canal administration eliminated the limit on the number of slots a customer can claim per date or week and now allows reservations on consecutive dates. Quotas not consumed by one segment will be offered to other segments under a defined substitution hierarchy, while slots won at auction will not count toward segment limits.

(Source: Newsroom Panama)