The main aviation industry event in Latin America and the Caribbean will be held under the theme “The Connectivity Frontier: Exploring New Opportunities in the Region”. The agenda highlights the importance of collaboration between the aviation industry and government agencies, with a specific focus on improving regional connectivity and competitiveness. Specific topics include travel and tourism, technology and innovation, operations, sustainability, and distribution.

Frederico Pedreira, CEO and President of Avianca, and Peter Cerdá, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas, will participate in the event along with other prominent CEOs of airlines from the region, including:

• Roberto Alvo – CEO, LATAM Airlines Group
• Pedro Heilbron – CEO, Copa Airlines
• Estuardo Ortiz – CEO, JetSMART Airlines
• Adrian Neuhauser – CEO, Abra Group
• Erika Zárate Bahamón – CEO, LATAM Airlines Colombia

In line with the conference’s goal of developing solutions along the aviation value chain, the list of speakers is also composed of representatives of various industry stakeholders, such as:

• Arturo Barreira – President, Airbus Latin America and the Caribbean
• Natalia Bayona – Executive Director, UN Tourism
• Ricardo Bernardi – Partner, Bernardi & Schnapp
• Carolina Betancourt- SAF Project Director, BioD S
• Rafael Echevarne – Director General, ACI-LAC
• Natalí Leal – General Manager, OPAIN
• Victoria Platt – Vice President, Airline Strategy and Transformation, SITA
• Roberto Roselli – CEO, Plus Ultra
• Harris Whitbeck – Minister of Tourism, Republic of Guatemala

The aviation industry plays a key role in the economic and social development of all of Latin America and the Caribbean. The sector supports more than 8.3 million jobs and generates an economic contribution of about $240 billion USD to GDP (2023). Estimates indicate that these figures will almost double by 2043, reaching 15 million jobs and a contribution of $500 billion USD to GDP.

Bogotá was selected to host this event due to the growing relevance of the Colombian air market. In 2023, the air transport value chain contributed $15.5 billion USD to GDP, representing 4.3% of Colombia’s total GDP, in addition to generating 921,000 jobs.

Photo credit: IATA.

The Copa Airlines flight will initially operate with 3 weekly frequencies on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, departing at 11:36 a.m. from Panama (local time) and arriving at El Edén International Airport at 12:58 p.m. (local time). The return flight will depart the same days from Armenia at 3:58 p.m., arriving in Panama at 5:18 p.m. (local time). The route will be operated by a Boeing 737-700 with capacity for 12 passengers in business class and 112 passengers in the main cabin.

Along with Pereira and Manizales, Armenia is part of the Colombian “Eje Cafetero” coffee producing region.

“We are pleased to announce our first new route since the pandemic began in March 2020. It is part of our vision as a leading airline to increase the connectivity of cities on the continent, thus contributing to the economic and cultural development of the region. We are sure that Armenia will be part of it,” said Pedro Heilbron, executive president of Copa Airlines.

In the heart of Colombia’s coffee growing region, Armenia was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2011. It is located roughly equidistant between Bogotá, Medellín and Cali, with a population of approximately 300,000 inhabitants. Along with Pereira and Manizales, Armenia is part of the Colombian “Eje Cafetero” (coffee axis), and its many coffee farms have become international tourist attractions. There are even coffee-themed and agriculture themed amusement parks nearby.

“International air connectivity in our country continues to show important signs of recovery in the midst of this situation, opening new routes to different cities in the country such as Armenia, a city that will soon increase its air capacity abroad with a new connection to Panama City. Very soon more travelers will be able to learn about the unique experiences that our country offers, a sustainable, reliable and high-quality destination,” said Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia, Colombia’s investment promotion agency.

Roberto Jairo Jaramillo Cárdenas, Governor of Quindío added: “We are very happy in the heart of Colombia to be able to have Copa Airlines, a new airline linked to the region that will fly from the El Edén International Airport. with 3 weekly frequencies. This allows us to increase the competitiveness index that we have in Quindío and thus we will be able to bring and take tourists in two ways. We invite visitors to come to know our coffee culture landscape through this airline that is about to fly from Quindío with the attractions and benefits that we have to offer from this chosen destination. To Copa Airlines, thank you for connecting with the Heart of Colombia.”

Above photo: Parque Del Café is an amusement park minutes outside of Armenia that entertains visitors while educating them on coffee culture. Photo © Loren Moss

Panamá’s government followed suit with other governments around the world instituting travel & immigration restrictions to fight the spread of the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic.

“At Copa Airlines we understand and support the decision of the Government of Panama. For us nothing is more important than the health and well-being of Panama and the countries we serve, our passengers, our collaborators and all the people who transit or work at the Hub of the Americas,” said Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines. “I am sure that all together we will get ahead of this difficult situation that we face today. We will work like never before to recover and reconnect the cities that welcomed us, transporting our loyal passengers throughout the length and breadth of our continent, “he added.

Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines

Copa tentatively plans to resume operations on April 22. The airline, according to industry analysts, boasts a relatively strong balance sheet compared to its peers and is expected to weather this emergency without lasting financial weakness.

Options for passengers

For travelers, Copa made its commercial policies more flexible, allowing passengers to modify itineraries free of charge for changes in tickets purchased until March 31, 2020 and dated travel until June 15, 2020. Any unused ticket will retain its value, and can be used to schedule new travel with the final flight date until December 31, 2021. Likewise, passengers who have already started their trip and were caught off guard by the emergency, Copa will allow until March 22, 2020, passengers to make unlimited changes to reservations without charges and regardless of the date, rate or even destination of the final leg of the passenger’s flight.

The announcement came late last month, just as Copa was experiencing a system-wide passenger traffic jump of 3.9%, in passenger revenue miles year over year, in May. Capacity decreased 0.3% in the month, however.

While this slight uptick does not offer a ton of help to an airline operating in a region that is still experiencing prolonged currency devaluations, it represents some good news in a tough market where revenue has been sagging. Copa’s passenger revenue fell from $2.62 billion USD in 2014 to just $2.17 billion USD in 2015, and its net income fell by almost 50% year over year. Even with some $200 million less spent on fuel costs during the year, the airline was unable to see growth.

In positive news, Copa has become the most reliable airline in Colombia. With 93% of its flights staying on schedule over the first half of 2015, it ranked first among all carriers operating in the country in terms of on-time performance. This was even better than the region-wide rate of 91% it posted. “Our passengers appreciate the fact that they can make fast, convenient, and comfortable connections,” said Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines, in a statement.

In all, Copa Holdings operates a fleet that services 76 destinations in 31 countries in the Americas and the Caribbean. In Colombia, Copa flies to Bogotá, Medellin, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cucutá, and Pereira. Its first routes into the Andean nation began in 1992.

Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines

FightStats recognized Copa Airlines as the “top on-time airline in Latin America” during 2013 and 2014. Since then, the airline has leveraged its on-time performance and flight completion statistics to compete in the growing regional aviation market.

“These first-semester results are a reflection of the hard work and dedication of all our in-flight and ground personnel in each of our 74 destinations across the continent,” said Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines. “This achievement demonstrates our commitment to our passengers, who also enjoy our world-class service and the best connectivity through our Hub of the Americas in Panama.”

The airline offers service to 74 destinations in 30 countries throughout the Americas, including the Caribbean. Copa operates a fleet iconsisting of 98 aircraft: 72 US-built Boeing 737 Next-Generation and 26 Brasil-built Embraer-190 jets. Copa recently signed a $6.6 billion USD deal with Boeing for 61 more jets.

“Our passengers appreciate the fact that they can make fast, convenient, and comfortable connections to 74 destinations in 30 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean because of the connectivity we offer through our Hub of the Americas,” Heilbron added.

“Copa is proud to sign this landmark order in the presence of our countries’ two presidents,” said Copa CEO Pedro Heilbron. “The Next-Generation 737 is the backbone for our fleet today, and our order for the 737 MAX shows our continued commitment to the future, to bring people together across all of the Americas using the most modern and efficient airplanes in the sky, as well as our Hub of the Americas in Panama City.”

PHOTO: US President Barack Obama and Panama’s President Juan Carlos Varela look on as (seated, l to r) David Joyce, President of GE  Aviation, Jim McNerney, CEO and Chairman of Boeing, Stanley Motta, Chairman of Copa Holdings, and Copa CEO Pedro Heilbron signed documents recognizing the agreement. (Courtesy Copa Airlines)

Boeing currently reports 2,715 737 MAX orders from 57 customers globally. This order had previously been listed as “unidentified” on Boeing’s Orders and Deliveries website.  Motta added that “with the 737 MAX our customers will enjoy all the benefits of the best technology available in the market. This order is an important step in strengthening Copa’s leadership in the region as we enhance our world-class product and expand our network. Similarly, we are very excited about bringing new opportunities for Panama’s economic growth in the process.”

Copa Airlines will phase out existing aircraft in its fleet, replacing them with the newer planes, and supporting the carrier’s plans for long term growth. Copa will be the first airline in the region to operate the 737 MAX-9 on long-distance South American routes. According to the carrier, the 737 MAX-9’s range and passenger configurations are well suited to Copa’s long-haul route network.

“It is an honor to be joined by Presidents Varela and Obama on this great day. All of us at Boeing are proud to partner with Copa as it works to remain one of the most progressive airlines in the world,” said McNerney. “Copa has a history of leading the way for Latin America’s aviation industry, and this order shows their dedication to continuous improvement in performance, customer satisfaction and efficiency.”

Boeing’s 737 MAX employs General Electric’s CFM International LEAP-1B engines, as well as redesigned winglets and other improvements to deliver increased efficiency in the single-aisle airliner market. Airlines operating the 737 MAX are expected to see a 14% improvement in fuel consumption over the most fuel-efficient single-aisle airplanes in the current market, and 20% better than the original Next-Generation 737s when they entered service. The 737 MAX-8 is projected to have an 8% operating cost per seat advantage over the competitive Airbus A320neo.

The 737 MAX series also features the new Boeing Sky Interior, which Copa has launched in Latin America on its Next-Generation 737 fleet. The interior features an upgraded cabin with more headroom and LED lighting that offers several color options.