PANAMA FLASH! | Panama City – September 28th, 2026
Further to the temporary modifications to the Neopanamax Transit Reservation System introduced by the Panama Canal Authority under Advisory A-31-2026, the ACP has now issued Advisory A-36-2026, introducing additional changes to booking capacity, market-segment allocations, and reservation rules.
The new measures will apply effective September 29th, 2026, for booking dates beginning October 15th, 2026.
The main changes compared with the framework introduced under A-31-2026 are as follows:
- Neopanamax capacity increases from 9 to 10 booking slots per day. The additional slot will be made available through Booking Period 2, beginning with the Second Period Competition opening on October 01st, 2026. As a result, the combined daily booking capacity of the Neopanamax and Panamax Locks will increase to 33 slots.
- Booking of consecutive dates remains permitted. This flexibility was originally introduced under A-31-2026 and continues under the new rules.
- Per-customer booking limits are eliminated. Under A-31-2026, customers were limited to a maximum of 7 Full Containers, 3 LPG, 1 LNG and 1 Vehicle Carrier/RoRo/Bulker/Other slot per week. Under A-36-2026, there will be no customer limitation on the number of slots that may be awarded per booking date per week.
- Full Container allocation increases from 36 to 42 slots per week, with the minimum allocation increasing from 5 to 6 slots per booking date. For Full Container vessels with a TTA capacity of 13,500 or greater, the allocation increases from one to two slots, resulting in two slots being allocated to each of the three TTA ranges.
LNG allocation increases from 3 to 4 slots per week. LPG remains at 21 slots per week / minimum 3 per booking date, while Vehicle Carriers/RoRo/Bulkers/Others remain at 3 slots per week.
Slots not utilized by their designated market segment may be reassigned to other segments according to the priority sequence established by the ACP. Additionally, auction slots will not count toward the market-segment allocation limits.
Additionally, the ACP has established the maximum authorized draft for Neopanamax vessels at 14.94m (49.0 feet), effective immediately and until further notice, based on current and projected Gatun Lake Levels, recent precipitation, and the effectiveness of water-saving measures.
The ACP reiterated that while the water deficit in the Canal watershed continues, the Transit Reservation System remains the only mechanism to guarantee a transit date, and vessels proceeding without a reservation may experience indefinite delays.
For additional information, please reach out to our operators at operations@nortonlilly.com.pa.
Norton Lilly International (Panama) S.A.
Bldg. 3825 – Office 301-302
Howard – Panama Pacifico
Panama, Rep. of Panama
Tel: (507) 304-4600
Main email: operations@nortonlilly.com.pa (24 hours)
