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21 Apr 2026 / Panama Canal, Panama

Modifications to Transit Reservation (Booking) System

The Panama Canal Authority has modified its Transit Reservation (Booking) System to optimize capacity and operational efficiency.

Additional booking slots may now be offered for Supers and Regular vessels, under specific conditions:

Thresholds for additional slots:

  • Supers: Offered in Period 2 once 19 slots are allocated, or Period 3 once 20 slots are allocated.
  • Regulars: Offered in Period 2 once 5 slots are allocated, or Period 3 once 6 slots are allocated.

Dates and conditions will depend on several variables including vessel mix, Canal capacity and other factors, Additional slots will be announced by email 1 day prior to the offer, will have an In-Transit Time (ITT) of 36 hours and will be allocated through special competitions or additional slot auctions.

Slots not awarded may become available on a first come-first served basis for the remainder of Booking Period 2. If the additional slot is not awarded during Booking Period 2, it may be carried over to Booking Period 3.

Transit in Advance (TIA) & Last-Minute Services
If a slot opens with less than 48 hours' notice, "Transit in Advance" or "Last-Minute Reservation" services may be offered. Acceptance of being placed on the waiting list is considered a tentative offer for TIA but requires formal ACP email confirmation.

Vessels awarded a booking slot through auction, and for which the 48-hour deadline to submit the waiting list acceptance has expired by the time the auction slot is allocated, have a 2-hour window to submit interest for TIA services.

Customers awarded a slot during Period 2 Tiebreaker competition or through a first come-first served basis may not be assigned a slot for another vessel during the tiebreaker competition for the following day. Those awarded two slots during Period 2 competitions or through the first come-first served option or special competition may not be assigned a slot for another vessel during special competitions held during Period 2.

The Vessel Scheduling Fee does not apply to passenger vessels over 300 feet, intra-maritime cluster vessels, or U.S. and Panamanian warships/auxiliary vessels.

For booking dates up to January 2, 2027:

  • When more than 3 LoTSA slots are registered for any booking date, the additional slots to reach the maximum of six slots per date will be reduced from Booking Period 1A, 2 or 3.

  • If fewer than 3 LoTSA slots are registered for any booking date, by the end of Booking Period 1A, the unused slots will be added to Booking Period 2.

Full details are outlined in the Panama Canal Authority’s Advisory To Shipping No.A-10-2026.

For information about operations in Panama, contact GAC at [email protected]

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

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