Flights begin between Monterrey and Panama

Copa Airlines begins nonstop flights between Monterrey, Mexico and Panama

Copa is the first airline to offer nonstop flights between Monterrey and Panama, with connections throughout Latin America.
The new route facilitates business travel and tourism between Nuevo Leon, Panama, and Latin America in general.
Nuevo Leon passengers can connect through the "Hub of the Americas" to Central and South America and the Caribbean without customs or immigration

Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico - December 7, 2011 -- Copa Airlines today began nonstop flights between Monterrey, Mexico, and Panama, with convenient connections throughout Latin America.

The Monterrey-Panama flights will operate four times weekly, departing the Nuevo Leon capital on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 5:03 a.m., and arriving at the Hub of the Americas in Panama at 10:26 a.m. The return flight from Panama to Monterrey will depart at 6:52 p.m., arriving at 10:23 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The new flights were touted in a series of activities in the Nuevo Leon capital to celebrate the service. Officials from Panama and Mexico, as well as the CEO of Copa Airlines, Pedro Heilbron, participated

Heilbron highlighted the advantages of the nonstop Monterrey - Panama flight at a meeting with the Monterrey-area business community, with officials from both countries in attendance. He emphasized that the new route will permit passengers to connect more directly and rapidly to the principal cities on the American continent through Copa Airlines' Hub of the Americas in Panama -- the leading hub in Latin America.

"Copa's 20-plus-year presence in México has been very important to us," Copa CEO Heilbron said. "Today we are proud to unite Panama and Monterrey -- the fourth Mexican city served by our airline. This new flight reflects our commitment to offer increased and improved flight options and the best flight experience to the passengers of this region."

The new route facilitates business travel, with morning departures from Monterrey that arrive in Central America, the Caribbean and South American countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, among other destinations, before lunch time, and to Southern Cone countries such as Brazil and Argentina the same day, Heilbron added.

"This new flight not only opens up opportunities for cultural exchange with Mexico, but also encourages business between our two countries," said Luis Trevino Chapa, General Director of the Corporation for the Development of Tourism of Nuevo Leon.

He pointed out that the new flight also will generate tourism to Monterrey, which offers entertainment, culture and business opportunities, and also mentioned the proximity of the U.S. as an additional benefit for travelers from Central America.

In addition to its flight to Monterrey, Copa Airlines offers four daily flights from Mexico City to Panama; four daily flights from Cancun to Panama, and one daily flight from Guadalajara to Panama.

By the end of the year, Copa Airlines also will have begun flights to a number of other new destinations: Asunción, Paraguay; Chicago; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Cucuta, Colombia. Last June the airline began flight to Toronto, Canada; Porto Alegre and Brasilia, Brazil and Nassau, The Bahamas. The addition of routes and frequencies will increase Copa's available seat mile capacity by 20 percent in 2011 over that of 2010.

For more information, visit Where we fly.