Copa Airlines
Copa Airlines is the national Panamanian airline based in Panama City and based at the airport, Panama Tocumen. She is a member of the airline alliance Star Alliance.
History
The airline was founded on 21 June 1944, and started operations on May 5, 1947. Copa is an acronym for Compañía de Aviación Panameña. It was founded with the help of Pan Am, who wore a risk share of 32 %. The flight operations began with a small fleet of Douglas DC -3 and Douglas C -47. The first international routes offered the airline in the 1960s, as routes to Jamaica, Colombia and Costa Rica were established.
Until the 1980s turned Air Panama International, which until then had a greater degree of international recognition, a tough competition dar. Copa Airlines increased competition, as the first jet aircraft, a Boeing 737-100 was purchased to routes in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and bring into the United States.
The expansion policy was continued in the 1990s and could be seen Copa Airlines planes at the airports of Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Peru, Mexico and many other Latin American countries.
On 19 May 1998 Continental Airlines bought 49% of shares of Copa Airlines, with which a comprehensive marketing and operating alliance was initiated. Since that time, Copa Airlines adapted the aircraft painting and logo and took on the frequent flyer program OnePass. Early February 2007 it was announced that the airline the airline alliance SkyTeam will join.
Due to the change of Continental Airlines to Star Alliance and Copa Airlines announced on May 26, 2009 to terminate the cooperation with SkyTeam October 2009. On November 10, 2010 were finally announced that Copa Airlines will join by 2012 the international airline alliance Star Alliance.
In 2011, Copa Airlines, a new logo similar to the design of United Airlines, and since then uses their MileagePlus frequent flyer program, merged after Continental Airlines United Airlines. Joining the Star Alliance on 22 June 2012.
Destinations
The airline operates from the hub in Panama from an extensive network of destinations in North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Fleet
As of October 2013, the fleet consists of 79 aircraft, Copa Airlines:
- 24 Boeing 737-800
Incidents
- In a system failure Copa Airlines on October 21, 2013 were 110 flights, and also the President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla had to wait until she was taken away from the Mexican Foreign Minister also stranded José Antonio Meade Kuribreña.