(Reuters) – The Panama Canal on Friday said it will increase the number of booking slots available in its Panamax and Neopanamax locks, after a severe drought caused one of the world’s main maritime trade routes to reduce ship crossings.
Based on the current and expected levels of the artificial Gatun Lake, which provides the millions of liters necessary to operate the waterway, the canal authority said one slot would be added to the Neopanamax locks and two supers category slots to the Panamax locks.
Applications for the new slots will begin in coming weeks to begin transit on Jan. 16, it said.
However, due to the ongoing water crisis, the authority said it would, for transit dates starting Jan. 16, allow only one booking slot per customer per date, regardless of when the slot was booked – with a few exceptions.
The customer limit and prioritization of slots will continue until further notice, it added.
(Reporting by Sarah Morland; Editing by Kylie Madry)
