The Panama Canal Authority has announced a temporary changes to its reservation system to help customers affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Starting May 4, the waterway will implement temporary changes that will no longer require of booking guarantees and the advance payment of reservation fees upon confirmation of a reservation. Instead, customers will be allowed to place the guarantee for the payment of the booking slot prior to the vessel initiating transit.
The Panama Canal Authority said it hopes the changes will provide some economic relief to customers impacted by the global pandemic.
“The Panama Canal has served customers for over a century’s worth of ebbs and flows, and so we know the importance of adaptability and partnership during this time,” said Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales. “The months ahead will be challenging across our industry, but we aim to help reduce the financial burden for our customers today so we can all stand ready for a brighter future tomorrow.”
The measure will be in place for 120 days, lifting on September 1, 2020.
In January, the Panama Canal began implementing measures to safeguard its sustained operations, the health of its workforce, customers, and the crew of ships in transit in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In March, the waterway began instituting heightened procedures, including a reduction of on-site staff to only those essential for transit operations, and mandating their strict compliance with protocols set forth by the Panamanian health authorities.
“The Panama Canal remains committed to providing industry-leading environmental, time and cost savings to shipping lines and shippers who want to take advantage of Panama’s all-water route and strategic geographic position. As such, the waterway will continue to operate normally and with a full contingency of personnel needed to sustain transit operations for the time ahead,” the Panama Canal Authority said in a statement.
By Vera Eckert (Reuters) – Container shipping firm Hapag-Lloyd said surging demand for bulky goods like exercise equipment from locked-down consumers may flatten out in the second or early third quarter,...
By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen (Reuters) – Shipping group Maersk ($AMKBY) said on Wednesday it would accelerate plans to decarbonize sea-borne container shipping by putting the world’s first vessel powered by carbon-neutral...
By Isla Binnie (Reuters) – For the next four months, robotic submersible vehicles will swim the frigid, choppy waters around South Georgia island, gathering evidence to determine whether a massive...
February 17, 2021
Total Views: 2585
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
Just enter your email and get hot news every morning
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.