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Copa Airlines, based in Panama City, is the national flag carrier airline of Panama. Its main base of operations is Tocumen International Airport, from where it operates approximately 148 daily scheduled flights to 45 destinations in 24 countries in North America, Central America, South America and The Caribbean.[1]
[edit] History[edit] InaugurationThe airline was established as Compañía Panameña de Aviación (translation in English: "Panamanian Company of Aviation") (hence the acronym COPA) on June 21, 1944 and started operations on August 15, 1947. It was founded by a group of prominent Panamanian investors with assistance from Pan American, which took a 32% stake. It began operations with domestic flights operated by a small fleet of Douglas DC-3 and Douglas C-47 aircraft. The airline started its first international flights in the 1960s when services were inaugurated to cities in Jamaica, Colombia, and Costa Rica. It became wholly Panamanian owned in 1971. Until the early 1980s, the airline had significant competition from Air Panama, until then, a better known airline to the international public. In order to compete with Air Panama, Copa discontinued its domestic flights in 1979 and acquired its first jet, a Boeing 737-100. It also inaugurated flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico, as well as to the Dominican Republic and Miami, Florida. Thus, the Boeing 737 became the only aircraft in its fleet until the introduction of the Embraer 190 in 2005. [edit] Expansion Years Expansion continued during the 1990s, when service was started to Buenos Aires, Argentina, Santiago, Chile, Bogotá, Colombia, Havana, Cuba,Guayaquil, Ecuador, Lima, Peru, Mexico City, Mexico, Caracas, Venezuela, and many other important Latin American cities. In 1998, Continental Airlines acquired 49% of the airline, marking the beginning of a comprehensive marketing and operating alliance. On 19 May 1999 Continental increased its stake to 51%. Since then, it has adopted a livery and a corporate logo which are similar to those of Continental in order to represent their alliance, and participates in the OnePass frequent flyer program. However, in connection with the initial public offering in December 2005, Continental reduced its investment from 49% to approximately 27.3% and through a follow-on offering in 2006, Continental further reduced its investment to approximately 10.0%.[2] In 2000, Copa Airlines inaugurated services to Los Angeles, Cancún, and Orlando, as well as to São Paulo; in 2001 it began serving Quito, Ecuador. In 2004 it began service to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. It also announced in August of that year a code-sharing alliance with Mexico's Mexicana de Aviación, which lasted until 2007. [edit] The Acquisition of AeroRepúblicaOn June 1, 2005, Copa announced that it had purchased 90% of the Colombian domestic air carrier AeroRepública, having earlier announced plans to codeshare with them. The airline also announced its plans to make AeroRepública the second largest carrier in Colombia. It plans to increase domestic destinations, modernize its fleet, and initiate the airline's first international destinations. A few days later, Copa Airlines was announced among the four future associate members of SkyTeam alliance, due to join by September 2007[3]. On December 15, 2005, Copa Holdings, S.A., the parent company of Copa Airlines, launched an IPO of 14 million shares in the New York Stock Exchange thus becoming the fourth Latin American airline to be traded in the exchange, the other three being LAN Airlines of Chile and Brazilian carriers Gol Transportes Aéreos and TAM Brazilian Airlines (TAM Linhas Aéreas). [edit] 2006 In 2006 Copa Airlines announced and began service to six new destinations.
In addition, Copa Airlines also received 6 Embraer 190 and 2 Boeing 737 in 2006 and was chosen again as the "Best Airline in Mexico, Central America, and The Caribbean" by Skytrax. [edit] 20072007 Copa Airlines added new destinations and expanded its fleet with new airplanes.
Copa Airlines received 4 Embraer 190 and 2 Boeing 737 (series-800) in 2007 and was chosen as the "Best Airline in Mexico, Central America, and The Caribbean" by Skytrax. [edit] 2008During this year, Copa added five new destinations and received 4 Embraer 190 and 1 Boeing 737-800. The new destinations are:
Copa was chosen as the "Best Airline in Central America, and The Caribbean" by Skytrax. In May 2008, Continental Airlines sold its remaining 4.38 million shares of Copa for $35.75 a share, for net proceeds of approximately $149.8 million.[4] In November 2008, Copa chief executive Pedro Heilbron on the ALTA airline leaders forum in Cancun said that Copa Airlines has decided to leave the Skyteam and is in exclusive talks with the Star Alliance.[1] [edit] 2009
[edit] Awards and honors
[edit] DestinationsMain article: Copa Airlines destinations Copa Airlines currently flies to 45 destinations in 24 countries in North America, Central America, South America and The Caribbean. [edit] FleetThe Copa Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft as of May 2009:
[edit] Retired fleet[edit] OnePassOnePass is Copa Airlines frequent flyer program through partnership with Continental Airlines, offering regular travelers the ability to obtain free tickets, First Class upgrades on flights, discounted membership for its airport lounge (President's Club), or other types of rewards. Customers accumulate miles from flight segments they fly through Copa Airlines, Continental Airlines or other partners. OnePass elite tiers are Silver, Gold, and Platinum Elite which have benefits such as complimentary upgrades, mileage bonus, priority check-in and priority boarding. In addition to its Continental Airlines, Continental Express, Continental Connection, AeroRepública, and Star Alliance partnerships, Copa Airlines has frequent flyer partnerships with the following airlines: 
Copa Airlines also offers frequent flyer partnerships with the following car rental companies: [edit] Presidents ClubThe Presidents Club is the membership airport lounge program jointly operated with Continental Airlines. Copa Airlines lounge is located in its hub at Tocumen International Airport, Panama City, Panama. Presidents Club lounges offer amenities for travelers and members also have access to affiliated lounges around the world. The Presidents Club locations are listed below:
[edit]Copa Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
[edit] Incidents and accidentsMain article: Copa Airlines Flight 201
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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