Copa Airlines and AirPanama are both impressive Panamanian airlines. When considering a flight to David (and close-by Boquete or Volcan), below are a few notable differences between the two.
I have flown both airlines extensively. In my experience, they both provide very professional and high quality service. Traveling regularly on both Copa and AirPanama roundtrip from David to Panama City, I’ve noticed both airlines have had full or nearly full flights lately so try to book your flights at least a week ahead for best rates and availability.
A few notable differences between the airlines:
Location: AirPanama flys to David from Marcos Gelabert airport next to Albrook Mall inside Panama City. Copa flys from Tocumen, Panama’s big international airport outside Panama City.
Convenience: If you are flying in and out of Tocumen for international travel, not having to change airports makes Copa the logical choice. If flying domestically, AirPanama’s in-town location in Panama City and connections to more than 20 domestic destinations can make AirPanama the better option.
Baggage fees: Going overweight can incur extra charges on either airline, but Copa will allow for much more baggage at no charge if in conjunction with an international flight itinerary…. even if the international portion of the travel is not on Copa.
Change fees: AirPanama has low change fees (usually about $25) if you need to fly on a different flight or day. Changing a flight on Copa is much more costly.
Cost: Copa’s flights are usually much less than AirPanama. However, Copa operates more like an international airline with different classes of tickets and higher prices if the lower cost seats are already taken so don’t wait until the last minute to book.
Travel Tip: If you are coming from any city with direct Copa flights to Panama City, consider booking all the way through to David on Copa from your home city. David is just 30 – 40 minutes from Boquete.
If your city does not yet fly direct to Panama City with Copa, consider booking any airline to Panama City Tocumen and then simply recheck your bags for the Copa direct flight to David from Panama City.
Copa Flight Reservations
AirPanama Flight Reservations
5 reasons to visit Panama from New Orleans, May 21, 2015
“Copa Airlines will start offering non-stop flights four times a week between New Orleans and Panama on June 24, the airline announced in February.But why should anyone in New Orleans,beyondPan-American Life executives and those with family and friends in Panama, care?”
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About Copa Airlines
| Star Alliance member as of | June 2012 |
| Frequent Flyer Programme | MileagePlus® |
| Annual passengers | 11.6 million |
| Daily departures | 333 |
| Number of Countries served | 30 |
| Number of Airports served | 69 |
| Hub airport(s) | Panama’s Tocumen International Airport (Hub of the Americas®) |
| Revenue Passenger Km | 25.3 billion |
| Sales Revenue (in US$) | 2.6 BUSD |
| Number of employees | 9,484 |
| Number of aircraft | 98 |
| Aircraft types | Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800, Embraer 190 |
| Updated as of | December 2014 |
Copa Airlines was founded in 1947. Its Hub of the Americas®, strategically located at the Tocumen International Airport in epicentric Panama, offers more destinations and frequencies than any other hub in Latin America, establishing it as the most efficient airport in the region.
In 2005, this subsidiary of Copa Holdings S.A., began trading on the New York Stock Exchange, becoming the third Latin American airline to be listed on this important financial center. Also in that year, Copa acquired Aero Republica, then-Colombia’s second-largest carrier, and in 2010 it changed AeroRepublica’s brand name to Copa Airlines Colombia.
Today, Copa Airlines and Copa Airlines Colombia, are leading Latin American providers of passenger and cargo services, offering flights to 69 destinations in 30 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Copa operates one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the industry, consisting of 90 aircrafts: 64 Boeing 737NG Next Generation and 26 Embraer-190s and continuously boasts an on-time performance of around 90 percent, among the best in the world. Prestigious organizations have recognized Copa Airlines for its sustained operational excellence, receiving in 2013, 2 Skytrax awards for “Best Airline in Central America and the Caribbean” and “Best Staff Service in Central America and the Caribbean”. Copa’s loyalty program, United’s MileagePlus, has been selected several times as the world’s Best Frequent Flyer Program by Global Traveler magazine. For more information, visit In 2010, Copa Airlines starts flying to the island of St. Maarten and announces that Aero Republica will operate under Copa Airlines Colombia brand name. In addition, Copa Airlines communicates that it is in the process of joining the Star Alliance. Prestigious organizations have recognized Copa Airlines for its hard work and continual development. The latest award given was the 2012 Airline Business Strategy Award “Regional Leadership”. For information, visit www.copa.com.
For more information, please visit our website www.copa.com.
About Airpanama
Our Mission Statement
Air Panama is committed to deliver Quality Value Added Services and the Best In-flight Experience through our dedicated personnel who are our most valuable resource.
Air Panama Servicing Area
We serve Panama’s most important destinations from San Blas and David to Bocas del Toro with a modern fleet.
We take pride in our customer service. Our 300+ Panamanian employees are trained to make flying with AirPanama a pleasant experience – Traveling for business or pleasure Airpanama personnel are trained to make your experience pleasant.
Please ask us about our charter flights for local and international destinations.
As a Company we are proud to serve.
Our Numbers 2012
Number of employees: 300+
Number of aircrafts: 19
Number of destinations: 23+
Number of passangers per month: 20,000 approx.
Flights per month: 800 approx.
Cargo transported per month: 100,000 Kilos approx.
