Canal Celebrates News

The Panama Canal commemorated the one-year anniversary of the inauguration of its Expanded Canal, one of the most significant milestones in the history of the 102-year old waterway and a defining moment for the people of Panama and the global maritime industry. In its first year of operations, the Expanded Panama Canal has continually set records and surpassed expectations, resulting in redrawn global trade routes and positive world-wide impact, as the Canal looks to further position Panama as the logistics hub of the Americas. During the one-year anniversary, the vessels that transited the Expanded Canal received commemorative plaques. Albert III: A liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessel, chartered by Petredec Services Limited.

The Panama Canal has celebrated 102 years of successful operations and service to the global maritime community, just one day after welcoming its one-hundredth transit through the expanded waterway. On August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened for business, during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson. But it was Wilson’s archrival who was the driving force behind the canal. Over the past century, the Panama Canal has left a legacy of innovation, connectivity and sustainability, having a direct impact on world maritime trade, as well as the people of Panama. Century old experience and know-how allowed the Canal to successfully complete, and now operate, one of the greatest feats of engineering known to man, bringing the Panama Canal into the 21st century.

The Panama Canal celebrates today a century of operations connecting the world, committed to completing its Expansion, the largest infrastructure project of the waterway since its opening. "Going forward, the Panama Canal will continue to connect the world, supported by all the modernization efforts since its construction,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. The Panama Canal opened to world trade on August 15, 1914 with the passage of SS Ancon. Ever since, the 80-kilometer waterway has registered over 1,055,000 transits reducing distances, time and shipping costs.

On the countdown to its centennial in 2014, the Panama Canal celebrates 14 years under Panamanian administration, characterized by its enhanced service to world maritime trade. "The Panama Canal has strengthened its role in international trade, while contributing to the country’s development,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. The Panamanian management model has enabled the efficient and safe operation of the Canal, allowing it to offer a world-class service. Under Panamanian administration…

Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Operations Executive Vice President Manuel Benítez awarded the vessel Fortune Plum with a plaque on Oct. 14, commemorating the ship as the one-millionth transit through the Panama Canal since its inauguration in 1914. The ceremony, held at the Miraflores Locks, included all Canal staff that worked September 4, the day of the historic transit, and also recognized the ship’s operator STX Pan Ocean. “We are extremely honored to commemorate the one-millionth transit through the Panama Canal,” said Mr. Benítez.

On August 15, the Panama Canal will celebrated 96 years of safe, reliable and efficient service to global trade. The SS Ancon officially inaugurated the waterway on its first transit August 15, 1914. Today, the Canal continues as a viable global transportation and logistics leader, connecting more than 144 different trade routes and uniting the world. As the historic $5.25b Expansion Program continues as planned, the Panama Canal Authority looks optimistically forward to the future and remains committed to providing top-notch service for years to come.

On August 15, the Panama Canal celebrated 95 years of service as an engine of global trade and national growth. Since the steamship Ancón’s inaugural Canal passage August 15, 1914, the waterway has offered safe, reliable and efficient service to more than 983,000 transits. The Canal will reach the significant mark of one million transits next year. On this anniversary, the Canal finds itself engaged in the largest project since its inauguration, the Expansion Program, which broke ground September 2007.

Five years since the Panama Canal was handed over to the Panamanian people from the United States, the waterway is running better and safer than ever in its 90 years of operation. Beginning a new century under Panamanian stewardship, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has set and broken records, made significant improvements and invested in the equipment and infrastructure of the waterway. These accomplishments have helped the “All-Water Route” (the route from Asia to America’s East Coast via the Panama Canal – and back) become a very attractive option for the industry to move cargo between these markets. The five-year anniversary of the Handover falls on December 31, 2004.