PANAMA CANAL AUTHORITY POSTS SHORTER CANAL TRANSIT TIME
The Panama Canal Authority said Thursday that the average time for a vessel to transit the canal has been reduced 16.6 percent to 26.2 hours, compared to an average transit time of 31.4 hours in the period 1999-2000.
Ships that used the canal’s “reservation system,” where vessels can book an exact date for transit, took only 18.6 hours to transit the Canal.
The ACP attributed the reduction to the widening of the Gaillard Cut, increasing the canal’s locomotive fleet from 80 to 100 units, and acquiring more maneuverable tugs.