Copa Airlines facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Copa Airlines

Founded	21 June 1944; 81 years ago (1944-06-21)
Commenced operations	15 August 1947; 77 years ago (1947-08-15)
AOC #	DCIF003F
Hubs	Panama City–Tocumen
Focus cities	San José (CR)
Frequent-flyer program	ConnectMiles
Alliance	Star Alliance
Subsidiaries	Wingo Copa Airlines Colombia
Fleet size	98
Destinations	82
Parent company	Copa Holdings
Headquarters	Panama City, Panama
Key people	Pedro Heilbron (CEO)
Revenue	US$2.678 billion (FY 2018)
Operating income	US$145.0 million (FY 2018)
Net income	US$88.1 million (FY 2018)
Employees	9,450 (2018)

Copa Airlines aircraft aligned at Tocumen International Airport, the airline's primary hub.

Copa Airlines is the main airline of Panama. It is based in Panama City, Panama. Its main hub, or central airport, is Tocumen International Airport. Copa is part of Copa Holdings and a member of the Star Alliance, a big group of airlines. Copa also owns and operates Wingo, a Colombian airline.

Copa Airlines started in 1947. At first, it flew to only three cities within Panama. In 1980, the airline stopped its local flights to focus on international trips. In 1998, Copa teamed up with Continental Airlines. They shared a similar brand look and used Continental's frequent flyer program.

History of Copa Airlines

How Copa Airlines Started

The airline was first called Compañía Panameña de Aviación. This is where the name COPA comes from. It was founded on June 21, 1944. Flights officially began on August 15, 1947. A group of Panamanian investors started the airline. Pan American World Airways helped them and owned a part of the company.

Copa began by flying within Panama using Douglas DC-3 planes. In the early 1970s, Copa started its first international flights. These flights went to cities in Jamaica, Colombia, and Costa Rica. Copa also used turboprop planes like the Hawker Siddeley HS 748 and Lockheed L-188 Electra.

A Copa Airlines Lockheed L-188 Electra at La Aurora International Airport in 1980

In 1980, Copa stopped its domestic flights. It bought its first jet plane, a Boeing 737-100. Today, Copa flies to many cities in the U.S. and Canada. These include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Toronto. They also fly to places in the Caribbean and Latin America. As of 2022, Copa Airlines uses only Boeing 737 planes.

Copa Airlines Grows Bigger

Copa Airlines kept growing in the 1990s. It started flying to major cities like Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Mexico City, Mexico. Other new destinations included Santiago, Chile, and Bogotá, Colombia.

In 1992, Copa Airlines partnered with TACA Airlines. Copa began flying from Tocumen International Airport. This airport became the first major flight connection center in Latin America. It was even called the "Hub of the Americas." This partnership ended in 1998.

In 1998, Continental Airlines bought a large part of Copa. This started a big partnership between the two airlines. Copa then began to look similar to Continental. It used a similar logo and colors. Copa also joined Continental's frequent flyer program. Continental later sold most of its shares in Copa.

Since 1980, the Boeing 737 has been a backbone for the medium-long haul expansion of Copa Airlines. Pictured; a Boeing 737-800 at LAX.

In 2000, Copa Airlines started flying to Los Angeles and São Paulo. In 2001, flights to Quito, Ecuador began. By 2004, Copa was flying to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.

In 2005, Copa Airlines bought most of AeroRepública, a Colombian airline. Copa later renamed it Copa Airlines Colombia in 2010. They added more destinations and updated the planes. In December 2005, Copa's parent company, Copa Holdings, S.A., started selling its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

In 2006, Copa Airlines added six new destinations. These included Manaus, Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Copa also received new Embraer 190 and Boeing 737 planes. In 2007, Copa added flights to Córdoba, Argentina and Washington, D.C.. That same year, Copa joined the SkyTeam airline alliance.

Embraer 190, mainly deployed for regional flights across Central America and Colombia

In 2008, Copa Airlines added five more destinations. These included Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. In May 2008, Continental Airlines sold its remaining shares in Copa. Later that year, Copa's CEO, Pedro Heilbron, announced that Copa would leave SkyTeam. They planned to join Star Alliance instead.

In 2009, Copa Airlines officially left SkyTeam. They also ordered 13 new Boeing 737-800 planes. These planes had a new "Sky Interior" design.

In 2010, Copa Airlines started flying to St. Maarten. They also received nine new Boeing 737-800 planes. Copa announced it would join Star Alliance in mid-2012. This was the largest plane order in Copa's history at the time.

In 2011, Copa Airlines added many new destinations. These included Toronto, Canada, and Chicago, USA. They also started flights to Brasilia, Brazil, and Asunción, Paraguay. Copa also made its website available on mobile phones. This allowed passengers to get mobile boarding passes. Copa also became the first airline in Latin America to have the new Boeing 737-800NG Sky Interior.

In June 2012, Copa Airlines became one of the first Latin American airlines to enter Star Alliance.

In 2012, Copa announced five new destinations. These included Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, and Recife, Brazil. In June, Copa Airlines officially became a member of Star Alliance. Copa also partnered with Air Panama. This allowed tourists to easily connect to Panama's tourist spots.

In 2013, Copa added two new destinations in the United States: Boston and Tampa. Copa also started using new "split scimitar winglets" on its Boeing 737s. These winglets help save fuel and reduce carbon dioxide.

In January 2014, Copa Airlines announced new flights to Montreal, Canada, and Fort Lauderdale, United States. In July, they added Campinas, Brazil, and Santa Clara, Cuba. Copa was the first airline in Latin America to use the new winglets on its Boeing 737 NG fleet.

In January 2015, Copa Airlines started daily domestic flights to David, Chiriquí. This was the first time in 30 years. They also announced new flights to Villahermosa and Puebla, Mexico, and New Orleans, United States. Later, they added San Francisco, California, and Belize City.

Copa Airlines is Latin America's first Boeing 737 MAX 9 operator.

In April 2015, Copa ordered 61 Boeing 737 MAX planes. This was a very large order. In December 2016, Wingo, a low-cost airline owned by Copa, began flying.

Copa continued to add new destinations in the following years. In 2017, they started flights to Mendoza, Argentina and Denver, United States. In 2018, new flights began to Bridgetown, Barbados, and Fortaleza, Brazil. In 2019, flights to Paramaribo, Suriname, started.

More recently, in December 2021, Copa began flights to Armenia, Colombia and Atlanta, United States. In June 2022, flights to Santa Marta, Colombia, and Barcelona, Venezuela started. In September 2022, Copa began flying to Mexico City's new airport. In 2023, new flights included Manta, Ecuador, Baltimore, Maryland, and Austin, Texas.

Copa Airlines Facts and Figures

Copa Airlines keeps track of its business over the years. Here are some key facts:

Where Copa Airlines Flies

Copa Airlines flies to many places! As of November 2023, it serves 32 countries. It has 84 routes in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

Shared Flights with Other Airlines

Copa Airlines has agreements to share flights with other airlines. This means you can book a flight with Copa, but fly on a plane operated by one of these partners. This helps passengers connect to more places.

Copa Airlines Planes

Current Fleet

As of May 2024, Copa Airlines uses the following Boeing aircraft:

How the Fleet Changed Over Time

Copa Airlines was the first airline in Latin America to use the Embraer 190. In 2004, Copa ordered ten Embraer 190 planes. They also had options to buy 20 more.

In 2007, the airline decided to buy four Boeing 737-800s and ten Embraer E-190s. This was a big investment. In 2009, Copa ordered 13 Boeing 737-800 planes. These planes had Boeing's new "Sky Interior."

In 2010, Copa and Boeing announced a deal for 22 Boeing 737-800 planes. This was the largest plane order for Copa until 2015. In 2015, Copa ordered 61 Boeing 737 MAX planes.

In 2014, Copa received its first Boeing 737-800 with "Split Scimitar winglets." These special winglets help planes fly more efficiently. Copa plans to add these winglets to all its Boeing 737s.

In 2015, Copa Airlines announced they would slowly stop using their Embraer 190 planes. They decided to use more Boeing 737s instead. The remaining Embraer 190s were sold in 2020.

Past Planes Copa Airlines Used

Copa Airlines has used different types of planes in the past:

Plane Designs (Liveries)

Copa Airlines has used these liveries on their aircraft.

Since 1947, Copa Airlines has used different designs on its planes. These designs are called "liveries." They changed as the airline updated its fleet from propeller planes to jets. Copa also has special liveries for certain events.

In 2003, for Panama's 100th anniversary, Copa decorated its Boeing 737-700s. They had a special logo and a picture of Panama's first president. In 2006, a Copa Embraer 190 had a special design. It showed that it was the 200th Embraer 190 plane ever made.

In 2011, Copa Airlines worked with Panama's Tourism Authority. They created a special design for a Boeing 737-800. It had a butterfly logo and the website "visitpanama.com." This was to help promote tourism in Panama.

In 2012, a new Copa Airlines Boeing 737-800 got the Star Alliance design. This plane was shown when Copa officially joined Star Alliance. Another Boeing 737-800 also received the Star Alliance design later that year.

In October 2012, Copa received a new Boeing 737-800. It had a design showing Frank Gehry's Biomuseo. This is a museum in Panama City. In 2013, another Boeing 737-800 was painted with the Star Alliance design.

In 2014, Copa Airlines worked with the Panama Canal Authority. They launched a special campaign for the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal. This included a special design on the back of some Boeing 737-800 planes. It showed a picture of the canal's locks.

Copa Airlines has used several main liveries over the years:

• Compañia Panameña de Aviación (1947–1961)
• Vuele Copa (1961–1965)
• Copa Panama (original) - White plane with a red or green stripe (1965–1971)
• Copa Panama (1st update) - Red and orange stripe with a white plane (1971–1980)
• Copa Panama (2nd update) - Red and yellow stripe with a white plane (1980–1990)
• Copa "Billboard Style" - Red and yellow stripe with a white plane. The "Copa" logo was big on the front and tail (1990–1999).
• Copa Airlines (original) - White and gray plane with a gold stripe. It had a globe logo, similar to Continental Airlines (1999–2012).
• Copa Airlines (1st update) - Similar to the original, but "Copa Airlines" is now in a different, simpler font (2012–present).

The white and gray design, similar to Continental Airlines, has been used by Copa since 1999. Even though Continental merged with United Airlines, Copa and United still use a similar globe logo.

Services on Copa Airlines

A Copa Airlines Boeing 737-800 departing Los Angeles International Airport, in California (2014)

Business Class

Business Class seats are available on all Copa Airlines planes. Passengers in Business Class get special treatment. They check in at separate counters and board the plane first. They also get their bags first. They can use special airport lounges. They also earn extra miles for their frequent flyer program.

On the plane, Business Class passengers get drinks before takeoff. They also get multi-course meals. Pillows and blankets are provided on longer flights. Business Class seats are comfortable. Some have leather seats that recline with footrests. The newest Boeing 737 MAX planes have lie-flat beds. These seats also have power outlets, USB ports, and personal screens for movies and shows.

Economy Class

Economy Class seats are available on all planes. On newer Boeing 737-800s, Economy seats have adjustable headrests. They also have personal touch screens for entertainment. Older 737-800s have screens that fold down from the ceiling. All Boeing 737s have a radio. Passengers can listen to music from twelve channels.

Food and snacks are provided on shorter flights. Full meals are free on all medium and long international flights. Alcoholic drinks are also free for Economy passengers on all flights.

The main cabin also has "Economy Extra" seats. These seats offer more space and more entertainment options. They also have USB ports at each seat and bigger overhead bins for bags.

ConnectMiles Program

Copa Airlines in the Connect Miles livery on their Embraer 190 at Princess Juliana Airport (SXM)

ConnectMiles is Copa Airlines' program for frequent flyers. It lets travelers earn miles when they fly. These miles can be used to buy tickets. You earn miles when flying with Copa Airlines, United Airlines, and other Star Alliance airlines.

If you reach "Premier status," you get special benefits. These include faster check-in and boarding. You might also get free upgrades to a better seat. You can also get discounts on airport lounge memberships. Copa Airlines started ConnectMiles in July 2015. Before that, they used the MileagePlus program.

Copa Club Lounges

The Copa Club is a special airport lounge program. It is run by Copa Airlines and United Airlines. The main Copa Club lounge is at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Panama. These lounges offer comfortable places for travelers to relax. Members can also use other partner lounges around the world.

Copa Club lounges in Central America and the Caribbean include:

• Augusto César Sandino International Airport (Nicaragua)
• Juan Santamaria International Airport (Costa Rica)
• Las Américas International Airport (Santo Domingo)
• La Aurora International Airport (Guatemala)
• Eldorado International Airport (Bogota)
• Jose Maria Cordova International Airport (Medellin)
• Tocumen International Airport (Panama)

On-Time Performance

Copa Airlines was named the most on-time airline in Latin America for 2023. This means their flights arrived on time very often. A company called Cirium found that Copa's flights were on time 89.46% of the time. The average for airlines in Latin America was 81.67%.

Incidents and Accidents

Copa Airlines has had a few incidents and accidents in its history:

Hijacking Attempts

Copa Airlines has had one hijacking attempt:

• On August 7, 1994, there was a hijacking attempt on a Copa flight from Panama City to Guatemala City. Authorities later said it was a misunderstanding.

See also

In Spanish: Copa Airlines para niños