Panama Canal confirms 32 daily transits on 25 September

The Panama Canal confirmed 32 daily transits through December on 25 September 2026, a change in operating conditions at the interoceanic waterway near Panama City. The decision followed improved rainfall and reservoir levels at Gatun and Alajuela, while the maximum draft for Neopanamax vessels remains 48 feet.

Panama Canal keeps 32 daily transits through December

The current capacity is divided between nine daily passages through the Neopanamax locks and 23 through the Panamax locks. The Panama Canal Authority reduced the total from 34 to 32 passages on 15 September because of low rainfall linked to El Niño.

The 25 September report also said that the authority had postponed a planned reduction from 48 feet to 47.5 feet in the Neopanamax locks. The present limit is 14.63 metres (48 feet), while the earlier proposal would have reduced it to 14.48 metres (47.5 feet). The 25 September operating update linked the decision to better precipitation and higher levels in both reservoirs.

Panama Canal locks depend on Gatun Lake water

The waterway extends for approximately 80 kilometres between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Its locks raise vessels from sea level to Gatun Lake, which lies 26 metres above sea level, before lowering them towards the opposite coast.

The system includes lock sites at Gatun, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores. The original locks have six pairs and 12 chambers, with each chamber measuring 33.53 metres in width and 304.8 metres in length. This design explains why rainfall and reservoir levels directly shape the operating limits reported on 25 September. The Panama Canal Authority’s official history and operating overview describes the water lifts and the named lock sites.

The canal opened in 1914 and is administered by the Panama Canal Authority. Its current water-management measures therefore concern the same lock infrastructure that defines the visitor experience at the waterway’s viewing areas.

Water levels decide Panama Canal capacity in autumn

October and November will be important for the authority’s assessment of conditions through the end of 2026. The reported decision keeps the present 32-transit average in place through December, but continued monitoring of rainfall, watershed inflows and reservoir levels remains part of the operating process.

Visiting Panama Canal: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The current operating decision was reported on 25 September 2026 and keeps the average at 32 daily transits through December. Nine passages are assigned to Neopanamax locks and 23 to Panamax locks.
• The change concerns ship capacity and draft, not a reported closure of the viewing areas. The maximum Neopanamax draft remains 48 feet or 14.63 metres, and the planned 47.5-foot reduction has been postponed.
• The canal’s named lock sites are Gatun, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores, with Cocoli and Agua Clara also identified by the authority. The waterway links the Atlantic and Pacific sides of Panama.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Panama Canal

When did the Panama Canal confirm 32 daily transits?

The operating decision was reported on 25 September 2026 and keeps the average at 32 daily transits through December.

What changed at Panama Canal?

The total remains 32 daily passages, and the maximum Neopanamax draft remains 48 feet or 14.63 metres. A planned reduction to 47.5 feet was postponed.

Where is Panama Canal and how do you get there?

The waterway crosses Panama between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Its named lock sites include Gatun, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores, while Cocoli and Agua Clara are also listed by the authority.