Copa Airlines, subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A., recently announced that it will begin non-stop service in June from Panama to four new destinations: Recife, Brazil; Liberia, (Guanacaste), Costa Rica; Las Vegas, and Curacao.
Passengers who depart or connect to these new flights through Copa's Hub of the Americas at Tocumen International Airport will have access to a network of 63 destinations in 29 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
As part of the airline's strategic plan, Copa will add 10 new Boeing 737-800s Next Generation aircraft this year, for a total of 83 aircraft equipped with cutting-edge technology.
Copa announced the new destinations at a press conference in Panama during the reveal of its new corporate campaign and highlight the airline's 2011 achievements. Last year, the airline transported 8.8 million passengers and experienced a growth in capacity of more than 20 percent over 2010.
"Our sustained growth in the past few years has reinforced our position as the leading Latin American provider of passenger and cargo services and made an impact on the business and tourism development of Panama and Latin America," said Copa Airlines CEO, Pedro Heilbron, in a written release. "We have opened doors to important key markets in the region with connectivity to 59 cities in the Americas."
Copa's achievements have been possible because "of our talented personnel, as we point out in our corporate campaign," Heilbron added. "We will continue to strengthen our leadership position by offering the best service, flight frequencies and destinations for our passengers."
Heilbron said that Copa Airlines will continue to add routes as well as enhance schedules and connections in 2012, and expects to transport 10 million passengers and to experience a 20 percent increase in capacity.
This growth will have a positive impact on the local economy. Copa expects to generate more than 626 new positions in 2012 and have more than 7,900 employees system wide by year's end.
The airline also will reinforce its position as a world-class Panamanian company when it joins Star Alliance in April 2012. As a result, Copa expects to increase codeshare agreements with additional airlines, especially in Asia and Europe. In addition, Copa will reaffirm its alliance with Continental Airlines and its frequent-flyer program, MileagePlus.
Visit www.copaair.com.