The Panama Canal has announced a series of updates to its Long-Term Slot Allocation (LoTSA) program, aimed at improving flexibility and operational efficiency for customers using the waterway’s long-term booking packages. According to the Panama Canal Authority, the changes were introduced through Advisory to Shipping No. A-06-2025 and are based on customer recommendations intended to optimize the use of available transit slots.
Among the key changes, customers will now be able to confirm their transit date and vessel name up to 15 days before the scheduled transit, instead of the previous 35-day requirement. The Canal said this adjustment is designed to give users more flexibility and reduce the likelihood of date-change requests. This measure took effect on March 22, 2025.
The Canal also introduced a new LoTSA coordination service, which became available on April 27, 2025. Through this service, LoTSA customers can request slot exchanges and substitutions, subject to Canal coordination and validation. In addition, a specialized support service is now available every day to handle inquiries related to LoTSA slots.
Further improvements include unlimited exchanges and substitutions between vessels with different high mast lighting (HML) restrictions, as well as unlimited exchanges and substitutions between LNG and LPG vessels belonging to the same customer. These modifications also took effect on March 22, 2025.
Another important change is that customers who have already paid for LoTSA slots will no longer be charged additional fees for related services such as exchanges, substitutions, date changes, transit advancements, late arrival charges, and Just-in-Time services. This rule became effective on April 27, 2025. The Canal also revised certain rules in its current reservation system to give LoTSA customers greater flexibility and priority in slot assignment and transit advancement services.
With these adjustments, the Panama Canal reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to optimizing resource use and delivering a more efficient, reliable, and customer-focused service for the global maritime industry.
