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22 Sep 2017 / Panama Canal, Panama

Increase in booking slots for Neopanamax vessels

The Panama Canal Authority announces an increase in the number of booking slots available to Neopanamax vessels, Effective December 1, 2107, one (1) additional booking slot will be offered to vessels transiting northbound, for a maximum of four (4) northbound slots per day. The number of slots for southbounds will remain at three (3) per day.

This additional slot will be offered during the first booking period through a special competition in the following manner:

  • Competition for slots beginning on December 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017, will be held at 0900 hours on September 26, 2017.
  • Competition for slots beginning on January 1, 2018, through March 31, 2018, will be held at 0900 hours on September 27, 2017.
  • Competition for slots beginning on April 1, 2018, through the remainder of the first booking period will be held at 0900 hours on September 28, 2017.

Full container vessels will have a preference over other vessel types when allocating these additional slots through the special competitions mentioned above. If no full container vessels are interested, the slot will be awarded to any vessel that participated in the special competition, based on Customer Ranking. After the special competition, the slots will become available to all vessels on a first-come, first-served basis.

The slot distribution per direction for Neopanamax vessels will be as follows:

BOOKING PERIOD 1*
North: 3
South: 2
Maximum # of slots: 5
*includes the slot for the special period for passenger vessels

BOOKING PERIOD 2
North: 1
South: 1
Maximum # of slots: 2

BOOKING PERIOD 3
North: -
South: -
Maximum # of slots: -

Neopanamax vessels that have been awarded slots for alternate dates due to unavailability of slots will be allowed to changes to dates when slots become available without being assessed a cancellation fee, provided that the booking slot for the alternate date was awarded prior for the original date becoming available, and that the vessel had previously requested a booking got those particular dates and was rejected due to unavailability of slots. This provision also applies to vessels interested in slots that become available during the second booking period competition.

Finally, effective October 1, 2017, booking slots that become available due to booked Neopanamax vessels transiting prior to their reserved date may be offered to interested Neopanamax vessels in the same manner as when the slot becomes available due to cancellations or changes in booking date, either through competition, or first-come, first-served after the competition, provided that the booked vessel transits at least four days prior to its booking date.

(For information about operations in the Panama Canal, contact GAC-Wilford & McKay at [email protected])

Source: Panama Canal Authority Advisory to Shipping No.A-33-2017 dated September 20, 2017

If quoting any content from Hot Port News, please cite GAC Hot Port News as the source.

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