After several months without arriving in the country due to the covid-19 outbreak, Copa Airlines will resume flights to Managua starting January 20 and will do so on a weekly basis.
The plans of the Panamanian airline is to operate during January a weekly frequency on Wednesdays, informed Carlos Schütze, vice president of the National Chamber of Tourism of Nicaragua (Canatur).
After the South American country decided to suspend flights to and from Venezuela by Copa Airlines, the Civil Aeronautical Authority of Panama cancelled flights from Venezuela.
Panama has been forced to cancel existing flights to Venezuelan airlines, in response to the same measure taken by that country and until equal and reciprocal treatment is reached in the frequency of flights, as corresponds by the air commercial agreement, explained the Civil Aeronautical Authority (CAA).
Restructuring of airlines, preference for direct flights, modifications in the routes operated and the use of smaller aircraft are some of the changes expected in the regional air market in the context of the new business normality.
Air traffic has virtually disappeared in the last three months, as governments in Central America have decided to close borders and suspend commercial flights to and from the region's airports as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Beginning this week, Copa Airlines began operating the air route between the Panamanian capital and the city of Salta, in Argentina.
Representatives of the airline reported that Salta is the fifth destination that the company covers in the South American country, as they already have flights to Buenos Aires, Rosario, Cordoba and Mendoza.
Regarding the number of flights that Copa Airlines has between the Central American country and Argentina, Elcapitalfinanciero.com details that the airline operates a "... total of 51 weekly flights between the Hub of the Americas, in Panama City, and this South American country."
The union of Nicaraguan businessmen has stated that starting from September, Copa Airlines will stop operating frequencies to Managua from San Jose, Costa Rica and Panama City.
According to the Superior Council of Private Enterprise in Nicaragua (Cosep), "...The affected flights are Managua - Panama, San José-Managua, Managua-San José and Panama-Managua, while the only route that the airline is keeping active is Managua-Guatemala, however, only Monday, Wednesday and Friday."
Copa Airlines has started operating two weekly flights between Tocumen International Airport and the city of Bridgetown.
The Copa Airlines flight will depart from Panama on Tuesdays and Fridays, departing at 9:30 a.m. and arriving in Bridgetown at 2:00 p.m.The return flight will operate on the same days, leaving at 3:00 p.m.
In response to actions taken by the Maduro government, Panama will suspend cargo and passenger transport activities of Venezuelan airlines operating in the country for three months.
Immediately after the retaliation measures that the Varela administration intends to implement were made public, the Venezuelan government announced it will suspend economic relations with more companies in Panama and freeze their accounts, although they did not specify who those companies will be.
The suspension of the flights by the Panamanian airline to the South American country is one of the consequences of the political and commercial conflict that has arisen between the governments of Maduro and Varela.
Following the Maduro government's announcement of economic measures against Panama, which include the suspension of economic and commercial activities for a period of 90 days, including the suspension of Copa Airlines flights, the Panamanian airline announced that it will reimburse the value of the air tickets.See "Deterioration of Trade Relationship Between Panama and Venezuela"
Copa Airlines has started operating a route between the Argentine city and Panama City with four frequencies per week, and later this will be extended to seven weekly flights.
From a statement issued by the Tourism Authority of Panama:
With the departure of flight CM42O from Tocumen International Airport, on Wednesday, November 15, the first direct flight by the Panamanian airline Copa was inaugurated, which will cover the Panama-Mendoza route in Argentina.
It has been announced that as of November 15, the Panamanian airline will start operating four frequencies per week to the city of Mendoza, in Argentina.
In a statement issued by the company, it was stressed that this will be the fourth destination that the airline will operate in Argentina. It currently offers flights to Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Rosario.
It has been announced that from December this year Copa airlines will fly four times a week between the city of Colorado and the international airport of Tocumen.
Flights will start on December 11, and will fly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, according to Prensa.com.
"...The flight will fill the void left by the US airline United Airlines in 2015 when it canceled the Denver-Panama route because of the small amount of passenger movement it recorded in the first ten months of operation.
Dismissing the proposals by the Panamanian company Copa and that of Delta, Avianca Holdings has announced it will start the process of finalizing a strategic and commercial alliance with United Airlines.
Losses arising from the low occupancy rate on this route led Copa Airlines to decide to stop flying between Panama City and Puebla, Mexico.
The airline said that passengers who have flights scheduled after June 30, the closing date of the flight, will be covered on flights run by the airline from Mexico City.
Anpanama.com reports that "....Copa Airlines announces that after 11 months of operation in the city of Puebla, with two weekly flights to Panama City, and having made numerous operational and commercial efforts with the Government of Puebla, associations, local business people, travel agents and other allied groups, it has decided tocease its operations to this city from June 30" stated the document sent to ANPanamá by the airline."
Despite the losses caused by problems with currency repatriation, the Panamanian airline plans to keep operating its flights to Venezuela.
Pedro Heilbron, CEO ofCopa Airlines, told Martesfinanciero.com that"... for Copa Airlines, Venezuela represents a commitment to connecting travelers with both Panama and with the rest of the region, although he admits that the losses recorded by operations in that country have affected them. "
Copa Airlines has announced two weekly flights between Tocumen and the International Airport Capitan FAP Jose A. Quiñones in Chiclayo, Peru, from June 28.
From a statement issued by Copa Airlines:
Lima, March 18, 2016. Copa Airlines {NYSE: CPA} a subsidiary of Copa Holdings, SA, and member of the global airline network Star Alliance, announced its new route between the historic city of Chiclayo and Panama City, from next June 28 2016, with two weekly frequencies. With this destination, the airline will increase the connectivity of northern Peru with the rest of the Americas.