Copa Airlines to fly Panama- Guyana route

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:00 by GxMedia

Panama City, Panama – Jan.  22, 2014 – Copa Airlines, subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A., {NYSE: CPA}, announced Wednesday its growth plans for the first half of 2014 including new direct flights from Panama to Georgetown, Guyana.

Other direct flights are from Panama to: Montreal, Canada, and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  In addition, Copa will add aircraft to its fleet, for a 10 percent growth in seating capacity.
 
The new routes will strengthen Copa’s position in regional air travel and provide passengers in Georgetown, Montreal and Fort Lauderdale the fastest and most efficient way to connect with Latin America via Copa’s Hub of the Americas at Tocumen International Airport in Panama, thus increasing travel options and improving connections throughout Copa Airlines’ extensive route network.

The Guyana route will begin operating with two weekly flights in July. This will allow Guyanese passengers easier access to far more destinations while opening the country’s tourism products to more markets. “We will be working closely with Copa and the travel trade to maximize the opportunity this partnership offers”, explained Guyana’s Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Honourable Irfaan Ali. He emphasized that Government of Guyana welcomes “the introduction of this reputable air carrier” as a “very important development for our tourism sector, that brings with it tremendous benefits, as it provides a gateway for our guests to connect between Guyana and South America and with other destination on Copa.”  The new route promises to be more efficient while providing  quicker access to almost every international destination.

“Our sustained growth in recent years has allowed us to reinforce our leadership in the region and to continue the Hub of the Americas’ position as the most successful and efficient hub for travel to and from, as well as within, Latin America,” explained Copa CEO Pedro Heilbron.
The airline will add eight new Boeing Next Generation 737-800 aircraft in 2014, bringing its total fleet to 98 state-of-the-art aircraft, and increasing available seats by 10 percent.

New Destinations:
•    Georgetown, Guyana: Beginning July 11, 2014, Copa will offer twice-weekly lights to Georgetown, the capital and principal city of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. The new route, Copa Airlines’ first to this South American country, connects the area with Panama and the region.
•    Montreal, Canada: As part of its effort to increase its route network in the northern part of the continent, Copa will offer four-times-weekly flights to the city of Montreal, a major world cultural center and a well-known tourism destination. The new flight, which will begin June 3 of this year, is Copa’s second Canadian destination.  
•    Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: Copa will offer flights four times a week between Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and the Hub of the Americas, beginning July 11, 2014.  The coastal region, with its booming tourism industry and growing Latin American population, will be Copa’s fourth destination in the state of Florida and its 10th in the United States.

The new cities served will bring Copa Airlines’ total number of destinations to 69 in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean served from its Hub of the Americas at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Panama – the hub with the most destinations and international flights on the continent.
Copa Airlines major accomplishments for 2013 include:

•    Transported 11,316,678 million passengers
•    Increased seat capacity by 14 percent
•    Received Skytrax awards for “Best Airline and “Best Cabin and Airport Crew” in Central America and
      the Caribbean
•    Added two destinations to its route network: Boston, Massachusetts, y Tampa Bay, Florida.
•    Added 13 flight frequencies to key destinations already served.
•    Achieved an on-time performance of nearly 90 percent, on par with the best airlines in the world

•    Received seven new Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft, ending 2013 with a fleet of 90 aircraft
•    Ended the year with 5,783 employees in Panama and 8,644 throughout the Americas.

Copa Airlines and Copa Airlines Colombia, subsidiaries of Copa Holdings, are leading Latin American providers of passengers and cargo services. The airlines currently offer service to 69 destinations in 30 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.  During Copa Airlines’ more than 65 years of uninterrupted operations, it has transformed the Hub of the Americas in Panama into the leading hub on the continent. Copa operates one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the industry, consisting of 90 aircraft: 64 Boeing 737 Next-Generation aircraft and 26 Embraer-190s, and has an on-time performance of almost 90 percent, on par with the major airlines worldwide. Copa is a member of the Star Alliance, the leading global airline network, offering passengers 1,328 destinations in 195 countries with more than 21,900 daily flights and 900 VIP lounges.