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Copa Airlines adds three new international destinations to Its already-extensive route network
- This summer, Copa Airlines will begin service to three new destinations: Villahermosa and Puebla in Mexico, and New Orleans in the United States.
- With these new additions to its already-extensive route network, Copa will serve 73 destinations in 30 countries in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean.
- Copa Airlines carried more than 11.6 million passengers in 2014, and the seat capacity offered by the airline increased by 10% over 2013.
Panama City, Panama - February 25, 2015 – Copa Airlines {NYSE: CPA}, a subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S. A. and a member of the Star Alliance global network, has announced that it is adding three new destinations to its already-extensive route network: Villahermosa and Puebla in Mexico, and New Orleans, Louisiana state's largest city in the United States. The new destinations were announced during a presentation about the airline’s achievements in 2014 and its plans for the first half of 2015. The three new routes ensure that the Hub of the Americas in Panama City, will continue to be Latin America’s most convenient and well-connected aviation hub.
Copa Airlines indicated that it will operate four flights per week to each of the three new destinations. It will begin service to New Orleans on June 24, to Villahermosa on August 3, and to Puebla on August 4. Following these important additions to its route network, Copa will serve 11 destinations in the United States and 6 destinations in Mexico.
In conjunction with this news, Copa Airlines also announced projected growth of 7% for 2015. The airline expects to carry approximately 12,277,000 passengers over the course of the year, about 600,000 more than in 2014.
“With sustained growth in recent years, we have been able to solidify our position as a leader in the region. We have also been able to solidly establish the Hub of the Americas as the most successful and convenient hub for travel to, from, and around Latin America,” said Jose Montero, Copa Airlines’ Senior Vice President of Finance. “The connectivity that Copa offers has helped to facilitate trade and create more trade and investment opportunities in all of the countries where we operate,“ he said.
Copa Airlines also indicated that its growth initiatives will continue to have a positive impact on the local economy. The airline announced a new partnership with the Panama Tourism Authority, “aimed at increasing tourism to Panama by continuing to position the country as a great destination that has everything to offer. Our aim is to continue to contribute to Panama’s economic and tourism development,” Montero said.
Copa outlined plans to promote Panama, highlighting the cities of San Jose de David and Rio Hato, from April to August of 2015. The promotion will run in markets including the United States, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Canada, and other countries in Latin America. It will make use of various traditional and digital media, as well as the Copa Vacations wholesale network and Copa Airlines’ own marketing platforms.
With this new partnership, Copa Airlines seeks to further increase the aviation industry’s contribution to Panama’s economic and social development. The aviation industry directly supports more than 43,000 jobs and indirectly supports 137,000 jobs in Panama, and it is responsible for 4.2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (12.6% if tourism services are included). These figures are according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which reported on ”Economic Benefits from Air Transport in Panama.”
Also in attendance at the presentation was Jim Hetzel, the Vice President of Business Development for the international consulting firm FlightStats. Hetzel presented Copa Airlines with the On-time Performance Service Award for 2014 in the Latin American airlines category. Copa Airlines had an on-time performance rating of 90.66% for 2014.
About the award, Montero said, “We have earned this important recognition thanks to all of our colleagues, especially those who work in Copa Airlines’ operations on a daily basis at our hangars, on our airplanes and our ramps, and at our operations control center. All of them work together like a well-oiled machine to achieve the on-time performance levels that have earned Copa Airlines international recognition. So this award is entirely theirs.”
Other notable figures in attendance at the event included the Governor of the State of Puebla, Rafael Moreno; the Chair of the Transportation and Airport Committee of the New Orleans City Council, Jared Brossett; diplomatic representatives of the United States and Mexico; and high-level representatives of the Panamanian government.
New destinations:
- Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico: This striving, forward-looking city links Mexico’s central and southeastern regions. It serves as a gateway to the Cancun and Chiapas region within Mexico, and to Central America beyond. Given this strategic location, Villahermosa has become a leader in logistics and trade, as well as energy and healthcare services, education, and first-rate entertainment.
Villahermosa has a thriving tourism industry, and it boasts five-star hotels and access to numerous tourist attractions. Highlights include the renowned Museo La Venta Park and the La Venta archaeological site, where ancient monuments from the Olmec civilization are on view. These and other attractions draw more than a million visitors to Villahermosa every year.
Villahermosa’s energy potential is one of its key strengths. It was named a World Energy City by the World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP), which described Villahermosa as a true hub for oil and gas production and export activities in Southern Mexico. According to the WECP, the ports around Villahermosa handle around 95% of Mexico’s crude oil exports, and abundant water resources enable Villahermosa to generate a significant amount of electric power. - Puebla, Puebla, Mexico: This beautiful city, which neighbors Popocatepetl volcano, is Mexico’s fourth-largest, with around 2.7 million residents. It is also one of Mexico’s leading cities for the textile and automotive industries, second only to Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. Puebla is linked to the rest of Mexico by several federal highways and expressways, and it has its own international airport, located less than 15 miles northeast of the city in the municipality of Huejotzingo.
Puebla’s wealth of cultural heritage and history makes it an ideal tourist destination. Local festivities draw many eager visitors; one example is the Feria del Huipil y del Cafe (Huipil and Coffee Festival), which takes place in Cuetzalan on October 4. Visitors also flock to see the Carnival of Huejotzingo in Tehuacan; the offerings made in San Gabriel Chilac; the ”La Xochipila” shrine in Xicotepec de Juarez; and the ”papel picado” (perforated paper) on view during celebrations in Huixcolotla. - New Orleans, Louisiana, United States: New Orleans is an important destination for business, culture, and tourism alike. This beautiful city, founded in 1717, has been shaped by French, African-American, Spanish, English, and American influences over the course of its history. It is the birthplace of jazz and the home of Mardi Gras, and in recent decades, it has also become home to a significant Central American population. Some of the newcomers are students who are attracted by the numerous world-class educational institutions in this region of the United States.
Given the presence of the oil and gas industry in the city, New Orleans is a key player in the Gulf of Mexico. At the same time, the city has also become a popular destination for pleasure travel and medical tourism. It is also home to regional and multinational companies and academic institutions, and it is frequently chosen as the site of professional conferences and trade fairs.
With these new additions to its route network, by midyear, Copa Airlines will offer flights to a total of 73 destinations in 30 countries in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean from the Hub of the Americas at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City. The Hub of the Americas will continue to offer more international destinations and flights than any other hub in Latin America.
Copa also presented an overview of the airline’s accomplishments in 2014. Highlights included:
- Copa Airlines carried more than 11.6 million passengers in 2014.
- The seat capacity offered by the airline increased by 10%.
- Copa Airlines received the FlightStats On-time Performance Service Award in the Latin American airlines category, based on its industry-leading on-time performance rating of 90.66%.
- It was recognized as Mexico & Central America's Leading Airline by World Travel Awards.
- It added 4 new destinations to its route network: Georgetown, Guyana; Montreal, Canada; Fort Lauderdale, United States; and Santa Clara, Cuba.
- It added 11 new daily flights to key destinations already served by the airline.
- At the end of 2014, Copa Airlines had a total of 6,509 employees in Panama and 2,758 employees elsewhere in the hemisphere, for a total of 9,267 employees.