Panama traffic: Canal, airport figures rise in 2015

Panama saw traffic volumes increase at its Tocumen international airport and at the Panama Canal, both of which are being expanded.

TOCUMEN OVERHAUL

State airport operator Aitsa is advancing major construction works at Tocumen, including the over-US$800mn south terminal (T2) being built by Brazil's Odebrecht.

Odebrecht was recently awarded a US$14mn contract to build a new taxiway that will serve T2, while the government is also planning to connect Panama City's public transportation system to Tocumen via a branch line linked with the metro line No. 2.

T2 is due to be completed in late 2017.

PANAMA CANAL

Much of Panama, and the logistics world for that matter, breathed a sigh of relief upon news that the repair works to the Cococlí locks were completed successfully, more or less keeping in line the inauguration date of the expansion around end-May or early-June.

And while it may be years before the Panama Canal Authority begins transiting the larger ships on a normalized basis, container traffic through the interoceanic waterway inched up in 2015, closing on bulk vessels. Container handling, divvied up between five operators working out of six ports, inched up in 2015.

Vessel transit totaled 12,386 in 2015, up 3.6% compared to the previous year.