The Panama Canal plans to increase the daily transit slots for vessels from the current 34 to 36 starting in September, according to the Canal’s Deputy Administrator.
This comes as the recent rainfall has enabled authorities to alleviate drought-imposed restrictions, reported Reuters.
In 2023, Panama experienced its third-driest year on record, which significantly lowered the canal’s water level. As a result, the Canal Authority was forced to limit the number of vessels navigating the vital waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
This caused over 100 ships at a time to line up waiting as long as up to 21 days to use the canal, reported Reuters. This waterway is responsible for approximately 5 per cent of global shipping.
READ: Panama Canal increases draft and daily transits
Deputy Administrator, Ilya Espino, said: “Now (the operation) is practically back to normal. We have 34 transits (per day) and on 5 August we will increase to 35 transits and… in September we’ll be able to increase to 36. For now, we are on the right track.”
Earlier this May, shipping traffic in the Panama Canal witnessed a recent uptick following relief from drought conditions, reported the Financial Times.
