Copa has 19 US/Canada routes and record 247-weekly flights; added 3 US airports in 2023/2024
Based on August 2024 departing flights, Panama’s Copa is the seventh-largest foreign airline serving the US. Far fewer flights are to Canada, a market it added in 2011. As it has not added additional Canadian destinations since 2014 or grown frequencies to a meaningful degree, it is only that country’s joint-20th largest international operator. The airline’s annual report shows that about 40% of revenue is earned in North America, including Mexico.
Copa is an all-Boeing 737 carrier. Planespotters.net shows that it now has 100 of them: 58 737-800s, 32 MAX 9s, nine 737-700s and the first of its MAX 8s. Its narrowbody-only fleet enables it to increase frequencies and to serve smaller, thinner markets, for which connectivity to/from North America is vital.
Some 247-weekly US/Canada departing flights
According to Cirium schedules information, Copa has a record 247-weekly US/Canada departures in August. The US has 233 and Canada 14. The development was helped by the start of Panama City to Raleigh Durham (4-weekly) on 21 June 2024, the first time the airport pair has been served. It joined the launch of Austin on 6 July 2023 (4-weekly), Baltimore on 28 June 2023 (4-weekly) and Atlanta on 12 December 2021 (4-weekly).
Copa’s August offering has risen from 212-weekly in 2023, the same as it had in 2019. It has increased relatively modestly from the previous high of 236-weekly (+5%) held six years ago in August 2018.
The following list indicates Copa’s US/Canadian network additions since 2000. Indicating strong network stability, only New Orleans is no longer served. It existed between 2015 and 2020.
- 2024: Raleigh Durham
- 2023: Austin, Baltimore
- 2021: Atlanta
- 2017: Denver
- 2015: New Orleans (since cut), San Francisco
- 2014: Fort Lauderdale, Montreal
- 2013: Boston, Tampa
- 2012: Las Vegas
- 2011: Chicago ORD, Toronto
- 2004: New York JFK
- 2007: Washington IAD
- 2000: Los Angeles, Orlando
It has 19 routes in August
They are shown below. Some 17 are in the US (including San Juan, which is considered domestic) and two are in Canada. Cirium indicates that Copa serves more US airports than in any other country. Only Colombia comes close (11). The US is vital for feeding Latin American flights, without which Copa’s network would be far smaller.
Copa’s median US/Canada frequency is daily. Six routes are served 2-daily or more, a further five are at least daily and eight are sub-daily. With 50-weekly flights (6- to 8-daily), Panama City-Miami is, of course, the most-served market. Almost half a million Miami passengers transferred at its hub last year.
