The Panama Canal Authority has announced temporary adjustments to its Neopanamax vessel transit reservation system to improve operational efficiency and ensure fair slot allocation across market segments.

Under the new rules, customers may obtain more than one slot on the same reservation date, as well as slots on two or more consecutive reservation dates. After securing a slot, customers may substitute vessels, provided the replacement vessel has the same or greater capacity. Eligible vessels under alliance operations or vessel-sharing agreements may also be substituted.

A total of 63 Neopanamax slots will be available each week, including those allocated through the Long-Term Slot Allocation system and the NetZero program. These include 36 slots for container ships, 21 for LPG carriers, three for LNG carriers, and three for Ro-Ro, bulk and other vessels.

The new rules took effect on August 30, 2026, and apply to bookings for September 13, 2026 and beyond.

The adjustment comes as the Panama Canal faces continued drought pressure and transit restrictions. Due to reduced rainfall caused by El Niño, the canal has introduced draft limits and reduced daily transits. Neopanamax draft will be lowered to 48 feet from September 2 and 47.5 feet from October 1, while daily transits will be cut from 36 vessels to 34 from September 3 and further to 32 from September 15.

Although the reservation rules have been eased, draft and daily transit restrictions remain in place. The Panama Canal Authority strongly advised customers to book through the reservation system, as vessels arriving without reservations may face long waiting times or high auction costs for priority transit.