ACP changes Panama Canal booking rules on 2 November
Published on 11/07/2026 at 08:26 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSBooking rules and visitor access
- The Panama Canal Authority restored allocation criteria on 2 November 2026.
- First-time vessels could request preliminary inspections from 1 November 2026.
- The waterway handled 13,951 transits during fiscal year 2026.
- Combined daily capacity reached 33 slots after the October 2026 adjustment.
New booking rules at the Panama Canal (Canal de Panamá) took effect on 2 November 2026, giving operators a revised route for cancelled or newly available Neopanamax slots. The change concerns the waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through Panama.
ACP restores slot priorities at the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal Authority restored the allocation criteria used before July 2026 for Booking Periods 1A and 2 at the Neopanamax locks. The authority announced the change through Advisory to Shipping No. A-40-2026, and the revised rules took effect immediately.
Available slots now go through a special competition. Container ships receive first priority, followed by liquefied natural gas carriers, liquefied petroleum gas carriers, and vehicle carriers or roll-on-roll-off vessels. Transit TEU Allowance capacity is the first tiebreaker where applicable, followed by customer ranking. The official A-40-2026 advisory also says the regular reservation system remains the only way to guarantee a transit date.
NetZero access changes from 1 November 2026
The same advisory widened the route into the authority's NetZero Slot competition for first-time transit vessels. From 1 November 2026, owners, operators or authorised agents could request a preliminary admeasurement inspection before a vessel reached canal waters.
The Panama Canal Admeasurement Unit uses information from that assessment to establish toll calculations, Panama Canal Universal Measurement System tonnage, engine type and other eligibility details. The assessment does not by itself guarantee a slot, because vessels must still meet the remaining programme requirements before the relevant competition.
This change links the 1 November 2026 inspection date with the 2 November 2026 booking revision: one adjustment moves technical checks earlier, while the other changes how newly available capacity is allocated. That combination matters to shipping operators planning access to the locks during continuing water constraints.
Water conditions still shape passage planning
Recent operating figures put the access question in context. The waterway recorded 13,951 transits during fiscal year 2026, which ran through September 2026, while tonnage reached 521 million Panama Canal measurement tons. A report on the authority's results also recorded a 4.1 per cent rise in transits and a 6.5 per cent increase in tonnage.
Daily capacity had reached 33 combined Panamax and Neopanamax slots after the Neopanamax allowance rose to 10 from 15 October 2026. The authorised Neopanamax draft was set at 49 feet in the same operating period, while the watershed continued to face a water deficit. The fiscal-year figures and capacity changes show why booking status remains more important than simply arriving at the canal.
Visiting Panama Canal: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The current news peg is the ACP booking-rule change announced on 2 November 2026. It concerns transit-slot allocation for vessels, not a new public attraction or a change to ordinary sightseeing access.
- The practical effect is for shipping operators: cancelled or newly available Neopanamax slots are allocated through a special competition, while an unreserved vessel is not assured a transit date.
- The Panama Canal is the water route across Panama between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Its lock operations depend on freshwater resources in the watershed, so water conditions remain part of passage planning.
- Visitors should distinguish the operational booking system from public viewing areas and museums. The November 2026 change concerns vessels, cargo categories and technical eligibility rather than a closure of the canal.
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Frequently asked questions about Panama Canal
What changed at the Panama Canal on 2 November 2026?
The Panama Canal Authority restored earlier priority criteria for reallocating cancelled or newly available Neopanamax slots. The revised system uses a special competition.
What is the Panama Canal booking change for?
It governs access to transit slots for vessels in Booking Periods 1A and 2. It does not announce a closure for visitors.
Where is the Panama Canal and what does it connect?
The waterway crosses Panama and links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through a system of locks and channels.
