Copa Airlines

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Copa Airlines
IATA
CM		 ICAO
CMP		 Callsign
COPA AIRLINES
Founded 1947
Hubs Tocumen International Airport
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer program OnePass (Mileage Plus from March 3, 2012)[1]
Airport lounge Copa Club
Alliance Star Alliance (April 2012)
Fleet size 74 (+61 orders)
Destinations 63
Company slogan Connected everything is possible
Parent company Copa Holdings, S.A.
Headquarters Panama City, Panama
Key people Pedro Heilbron (CEO)
Victor Vial (CFO)
Revenue increase US$ 1.82 billion (2011)[2]
Net income increase US$ 267.6 Million (2011)[2]
Website www.copaair.com

Compañía Panameña de Aviación, S.A., operating as Copa Airlines (CM),[3] is an airline based in Panama City, Panama,[4] and serves as Panama's flag carrier. Its main base of operations is Tocumen International Airport, and the airline currently offers more than 280 daily scheduled flights to 63 destinations in 29 countries in North, Central and South America, and the Caribbean with a fleet of 73 airplanes.[citation needed]

Out of the 5-star ranking, Copa Airlines holds a 3-star ranking from Skytrax, indicating generally positive reviews.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Inauguration

The airline was established as Compañía Panameña de Aviación (hence the acronym COPA) on 21 June 1944 and started operations on 15 August 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 Copa Airships B1 and Copa Airships B2 aircraft. The airline started its first international flights in the 1930s when services were inaugurated to cities in Jamaica, Colombia, and Costa Rica. It became wholly Panamanian owned and closed operations in 1941.

Until the early 1980s, the airline had significant competition from Air Panama, until then, a better known airline to the international public. Copa discontinued its domestic flights in 1979 and acquired its first jet, a Boeing 737-100. Today, 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

Boeing 737-112 at Miami International Airport in 1990

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 percent of the airline, marking the beginning of a comprehensive marketing and operating alliance. On 19 May 1999 Continental increased its stake to 51 percent. Since then, Copa has adopted a livery and a corporate logo similar to Continental's. Copa participates in the OnePass frequent flyer program. In connection with the initial public offering in December 2005, Continental reduced their investment to approximately 27.3 percent and through a follow-on offering in 2006, further reduced their investment to approximately ten percent.[5]

In 2000, Copa Airlines inaugurated service to Los Angeles, Cancún, and Orlando, as well as to São Paulo; in 2001 they began serving Quito, Ecuador. In 2004 service to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City was begun. Copa also announced in August of that year a code-sharing alliance with Mexico's Mexicana de Aviación, which lasted until 2007.

On June 2011, Copa Airlines celebrates 5 years at the New York Stock Exchange.

On 1 June 2005, Copa Airlines purchased 90 percent of the Colombian domestic air carrier AeroRepública, having earlier announced plans to codeshare with them. Copa rebranded AeroRepública to Copa Airlines Colombia and increased destinations and modernized the fleet.

On 15 December 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 Airlines (TAM Linhas Aéreas).

In 2006 Copa Airlines announced and began service to six new destinations: Manaus, Brazil, Maracaibo, Venezuela, Montevideo, Uruguay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic

In addition, Copa Airlines also received 6 Embraer 190 and 2 Boeing 737 and was chosen again as the "Best Airline in Mexico, Central America, and The Caribbean" by Skytrax.

In 2007, Copa Airlines added service to Córdoba, Argentina, Guadalajara, Mexico, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Washington, D.C., United States

Copa Airlines received four 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.

During 2008, Copa Airlines added five new destinations and received four Embraer 190 and 1 Boeing 737-800. The new destinations are:Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Valencia, Venezuela, Oranjestad, Aruba and Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

In May 2008, Continental Airlines sold its remaining 4.38 million shares of Copa Airlines for $35.75 a share, for net proceeds of approximately $149.8 million.[6]

More than half of Copa's aircraft fleet consists of Boeing 737s. This is a 737-800

That same year, Copa Airlines chief executive Pedro Heilbron on the ALTA airline leaders forum in Cancún said that Copa Airlines has decided to leave the SkyTeam and is in exclusive talks with the Star Alliance.[2]

During 2009, Copa Airlines announced their retirement from SkyTeam (on 24 October 2009), on the same date that partner Continental Airlines left SkyTeam.[7] They added two Boeing 737-800.[8] and announced a firm order for 13 Boeing 737-800 that will come with the new Boeing signature "Sky Interior".[9]

In 2010, Copa Airlines began service to St. Maarten, received nine Boeing 737-800 and announced that they will finally join Star Alliance in mid-2012 to meet their old partner, Continental Airlines and become the first Panamanian airline to join Star Alliance.

Also, Copa Airlines and Boeing announced the purchase of 32 Boeing 737-800 planes, set for delivery between 2015 and 2018, with an option to acquire ten more Boeing 737-800, valued approximately at $1.7 billion. This is the largest plane order in Copa Airlines history.[10]

On 2011, Copa Airlines started flying to Toronto, Canada, Brasilia, Brazil, Porto Alegre, Brazil, Chicago, United States, Cúcuta, Colombia, Montego Bay, Jamaica, Monterrey, Mexico and Asunción, Paraguay.[11][12][13][14] and Nassau, The Bahamas. The also passed from a 4 bank hub to a 6 bank hub and increased frecuencies to several destinations.

They also launched they first mobile website http://m.copaair.com, giving their passengers the ability to get the Mobile Pass*, check flight status and others characteristics, and announce a new codeshare agreement with TAME, which will be effective from January 2012.

In addition, Copa Airlines became the first airline in Latin America to have the new Boeing 737-800 NG Sky Interior with improved performance in their fleet.

For 2012, four new destinations were announced: Las Vegas, United States, Recife, Brazil, Willemstad, Curazao and Liberia, Costa Rica. [3] Copa is also expected to increase frequency to several destinations. The company made an interline agreement with Air Panama (Panama's second-largest airline) which consists of linking all tourist destinations in Panama with those in Latin America. It is expected that the agreement will be effective in June 2012, when Air Panama begins flights from Tocumen airport to Isla Colón, Bocas del Toro and further destinations like David, Chiriqui. [4]

*Mobile Pass is only admitted at: Panama, Colombia, Santiago de Chile, Guatemala, Guayaquil, Managua and Montevideo.

[edit] Awards and honors

A Copa Airlines Boeing 737-700 at Punta Cana International Airport.
  • November 2002: Best Regionalization in Latin America Award, PODER Magazine, Booz, Allen & Hamilton and Egon Zehnder International.[15]
  • December 2002: "Tourism without Borders" Award, Federation of Tourism Chambers of Central America.[15]
  • April 2003: "Developing Airline of the Year" Award, AirFinance Journal.[15]
  • April 2004: "Best Airline" in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean Award, based on the annual World Airline Survey conducted by Skytrax, a British market-survey company.[15]
  • June 2004: Among the 25 Best Employers in Latin America, América Economía magazine.[15]
  • June 2005: "Best Airline" and "Best On-board Service" in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean Awards, Skytrax.[16]
  • June 2006: "Best Airline" and "Best Cabin Staff" in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean Awards, Skytrax.[17]
  • October 2006: One of the 10 Best Employers in Latin America, América Economía magazine.[18]
  • August 2009: The Life Achievement Awards, Airline Business magazine.
  • 2010: 2010 Mexico & Central America's Leading Airline, World Travel Awards.
  • 2010: World's Most Sustainable Airline Environmental Award, GREENHORIZON Aviation
  • June 2011: fourth place in Leading Companies of 2011, Summa Magazine.
  • November 2011: Mexico's and Central America Leading Airline, World Travel Awards.

[edit] Destinations

Main article: Copa Airlines destinations

Copa Airlines currently flies to 63 destinations in 29 countries in North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

[edit] Fleet

Copa Airlines operates a total of 74 aircraft, with an average fleet age of 4.3 years.[19] The Boeing customer code for Copa Airlines is V3, yielding a model number such as 737–8V3.

Copa Airlines Fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
J Y Total
Boeing 737-700 20 -
12
112
124
 3 are leased to Copa Airlines Colombia
Boeing 737-800 28 61
12
16
141
144
155
160
 Deliveries between 2011 and 2018, HP-1534CMP on special livery,

launch customer of the 737NG Sky Interior in Latin America
Embraer E-190 26 -
10
84
94
 Launch customer in Latin America on 2005. 15 are operated by Copa Airlines Colombia
Total 74 61
Copa Airlines was the launch customer of the E-190 in Latin America in 2005
  • Copa Airlines was the launch customer of the Embraer E-190 in Latin America. The airline also operates the longest scheduled Boeing 737-700 flight in the world between Panama City and Montevideo in Uruguay.
  • The average age of Copa Airlines aircraft is approximately 4.8 years.[8]
  • In October 2004, Copa Airlines announced an order to purchase ten new Embraer E-190 aircraft with options for a further 20 new aircraft. Later the firm orders were increased by exercising five of the options. Six aircraft were delivered in the first quarter of 2007.[5] In June 2007 the airline took delivery of its seventh Embraer E-190 aircraft and is due to receive four more during 2007. The aircraft are configured with 10 seats in Clase Ejecutiva (Business Class) and 84 seats in economy.[20][21][22][23][24]
  • At 31 May 2007, the airline has firm commitments to purchase four Boeing 737-Next Generation(series -800) and ten Embraer E-190, with a list price of approximately $1.1 billion.[5][25]
  • On 30 December 2008, Copa Airlines has announced the firm order for another four Boeing 737-800.[8][26][27]
  • On 16 July 2009, the Panamanian carrier Copa Airlines announced the firm order for 13 Boeing 737-800 that will come with the new Boeing's signature "Sky Interior".[9]
  • On November 30, 2010, Copa Airlines and Boeing announced the purchase of twenty two Boeing 737-800 planes, set for delivery between 2015 and 2018, with an option to acquire ten more Boeing 737-800, valued approximately at $1.7 billion. This is the largest plane order in Copa Airlines history.

[edit] Liveries

During the last 64 years Copa Airlines had several liveries during the update of their fleet, from turboprops to jetliners. Also, they have special liveries within their fleet. In November 2003, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the republic of Panama, Copa Airlines put on their fleet of Boeing 737-700 an announcent of the centennial with the official logo with the picture of the first president of Panama, Manuel Amador Guerrero in a white livery.

A Copa Airlines Boeing 737-200 in the old livery at Las Américas International Airport.

In 2006, a Copa Airlines Embraer 190 had a special livery, because that plane was the 200th Embraer 190 produced by the Brazilian plane manufacturer, Embraer. In February 2011, to promote tourism in Panama, the Tourism Authority of Panama with the support of Copa Airlines, made a special livery for a Boeing 737-800 (registered HP-1534CMP) with a butterfly logo of Panama and the website "visitpanama.com".

From 1947 to present, Copa Airlines has used the following liveries:

  • Compañia Panameña de Aviación (1947–1961)
  • Vuele Copa (1961–1965)
  • Copa Panama - White livery (1965–1971)
  • Copa Panama - Red lines with white livery (1971–1985)
  • Copa Panama - Red and yellow lines with white livery (1985–1990)
  • "Copa" Billboard - Red and yellow lines with white livery and "Copa" logo in the tail. (1990–1999)
  • Copa Airlines - Gold lines with white livery and the well-known blue world globe with white and gold lines design in the tail.(1999–present)

The last livery on the list has been used by Copa Airlines since 1999 and is recognizable for plane enthusiasts during landings at Tocumen Airport and the rest of Latin America.

[edit] Services

A Copa Airlines Boeing 737-800 with winglets at Howard Air Force Base (2012).

[edit] Business Class

When flying in Business Class, customers obtain the following benefits: special check-in at airport counters, leather seats, meals, a large variety of liquors and wines, pillows and blankets (depending on the type and duration of the flight). It provides 3 Panamanian newspapers departing from Panama, bonus miles for all members of the OnePass program, access to all United Club/Copa Airlines Club.

Also private bathroom for business class passengers, and in long-haul flights, a courtesy kit containing toiletry items, hot towels and bottled water will be provided to all Business Class passengers. In the Boeing 737 fleet there is in-flight entertainment, which includes several music radio stations, movies and sitcoms.

[edit] Economy Class

In this class, passengers has some of the benefits as in Business class, such as in-flight entertainment in the Boeing 737 fleet (movies, TV sitcoms and listening to music radio stations), hot meals and a wide variety of drink options that can be selected during meals and drink services without any additional cost.

[edit] In-flight entertainment

In the Boeing 737 fleet, the airline have an in-flight entertainment system. Copa Airlines select an appropriate movie for all flights from or to Panama and reproduce some TV series (series showing only applies in flights that take 5.5 hours or more). Moreover, the Boeing fleet is equipped with a radio antenna which allows passengers to choose from 12 selected music radio stations and to listen to a wide variety of songs and instrumentals. The airline also provides an inflight magazine (Panorama de las Americas) in which one may find articles related to the airline destinations, world economy, leadership and entrepreneurship, science and technology and many other topics.

[edit] OnePass

OnePass is Copa Airlines frequent flyer program through a partnership with Continental Airlines, offering frequent travelers the ability to purchase tickets with miles. Customers accrue miles from flight segments flown on Copa Airlines, Continental Airlines, United Airlines, and other partners. OnePass (MileagePlus) offers additional benefits to its elite members; elite status tiers are marketed as Silver, Gold, and Platinum Elite. Benefits of Elite status include priority check-in, priority boarding, complimentary upgrades, and discounted airport lounge memberships (United Club/Copa Club). Due to the merger of United and Continental, Copa Airlines phased out the OnePass program on December 31, 2011 and will begin using United's new Mileage Plus program beginning March 3, 2012. This is also the first day that United will use the new Mileage Plus program.[1]

Copa Airlines also offers frequent flyer partnerships with the following car rental companies:

For more information visit onepassmergerupdates.com

[edit] Copa Club

Copa Club is the membership airport lounge program of Copa Airlines jointly operated with United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Copa Club lounge is located in its hub at Tocumen International Airport, Panama City, Panama. The lounges offer amenities for travelers and members also have access to affiliated lounges around the world. The Copa Club locations in Central America and the Caribbean include Panama City, Panama and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Airport City Country
Tocumen International Airport Panama City Panamá
Las Américas International Airport Santo Domingo Dominican Republic
La Aurora International Airport Guatemala City Guatemala

[edit] Codeshare agreements

Copa Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
(This list does not include Star Alliance airlines)

*The codeshare to Air Panama is actually an interline agreement.

[edit] Incidents and accidents

  • To date, the only fatal accident involving an aircraft of Copa Airlines occurred on 6 June 1992. At approximately 9 p.m. local time, Flight 201, a Boeing 737-200 registered HP-1205CMP, crashed in the Darien Gap during a flight from Panama City to Cali after an instrument failure, killing the 40 passengers and 7 crew on board. This is the first and only fatal accident in the history of Copa Airlines.
  • A Boeing 737-100 (registered HP-873CMP) was damaged beyond repair on 19 November 1993, when it veered off the runway upon landing at Tocumen International Airport at 19:19 local time following Flight 301 from Miami with 86 passengers and six crew members. The pilots had not managed to properly align the aircraft with the runway because of severe crosswinds, which led to the nosegear being torn off. There were no reported injuries and the plane was written-off.[28]
  • On 7 August 1994, a hijacking attempt occurred on board a Copa flight from Panama City to Guatemala City.[29]

[edit] Popular Culture

In the movie The Tailor of Panama, a Copa Airlines 737 is shown.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b http://onepassmergerupdates.com/en/op/MileagePlusin2012/ProgramPreview
  2. ^ a b "Copa Holdings Reports Net Income of US$104.4 Million for the Fourth Quarter of 2011 and US$310.4 Million for Full Year 2011". Copa Holdings. 8 February 2012. http://investor.shareholder.com/copa/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=647401. Retrieved 23 February 2012. 
  3. ^ "Terms and Conditions." Copa Airlines. Retrieved on January 31, 2011.
  4. ^ "2008 Annual Report (Form 20-F)." Copa Airlines. 3/182. Retrieved on January 31, 2011. "Avenida Principal y Avenida de la Rotonda, Costa del Este Complejo Business Park, Torre Norte Parque Lefevre, Panama City Panama (Address of Principal Executive Offices)"
  5. ^ a b c "Copa Holdings SA". United States Securities & Exchange Commission Form 20-F. 2007-07-02. http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1345105/000136231007001226/c70706e20vf.htm#108. Retrieved 2007-07-05. 
  6. ^ "Copa Airlines says Continental Airlines sold remaining stake in company". Thomson Financial News (Forbes). 2008-05-21. http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/05/21/afx5035184.html. Retrieved 2008-05-31. 
  7. ^ "Copa Airlines leaves Skyteam". 13/05/09. http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2325702/. 
  8. ^ a b c "Copa Airlines takes delivery of its # 8 Boeing 737-800". 13/02/09. http://www.copaair.com/nuestraempresa/noticias/noticia.aspx?ID=156&lang=en. 
  9. ^ a b "Copa Airlines firms orders". July 2009. http://www.copaair.com/nuestraempresa/noticias/noticia.aspx?id=176&lang=en. 
  10. ^ "Copa Airlines firms orders". November 2010. http://www.advfn.com/news_Boeing-Copa-Airlines-Complete-Order-for-22-Next-Generation-737s_45453387.html. 
  11. ^ http://www.copaair.com/sites/co/es/noticias/Pages/nuevo-destino-chicago.aspx
  12. ^ http://investor.shareholder.com/copa/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=584118
  13. ^ http://www.copaair.com/sites/PA/es/noticias/Pages/planes-expansion-2011.aspx
  14. ^ http://www.copaair.com/sites/PA/es/noticias/Pages/nuevo-destino-Brasilia.aspx
  15. ^ a b c d e "Copa Airlines Awards/Honours". Copa Airlines - Our History. Archived from the original on 2007-06-21. http://web.archive.org/web/20070621044100/http://www.copaair.com/html/user/default.aspx?PageId=1. Retrieved 2007-07-05. 
  16. ^ "World Airlines Awards 2005". Archived from the original on 2007-05-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20070529191026/http://www.airlinequality.com/2005/airline-05-regional.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-05. 
  17. ^ "World Airlines Awards 2006". Archived from the original on 2007-07-04. http://web.archive.org/web/20070704152829/http://www.worldairlineawards.com/Awards-2006/ResultsFull.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-05. 
  18. ^ "Copa Airlines Again Named to List of 'Best Employers in Latin America'". RedOrbit. http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/705243/copa_airlines_again_named_to_list_of_best_employers_in/index.html. Retrieved 2007-07-05. 
  19. ^ [1]
  20. ^ "Copa Airlines Takes Delivery of Its Seventh Embraer 190". Copa Airlines (UK website). 2007-06-28. http://www.copaairlines.co.uk/copa/news.cfm?ccs=166&cs=1332. Retrieved 2007-07-05. 
  21. ^ "Copa Airlines takes delivery of its # 12 Embraer 190 Embraer 190". 2008-04-14. http://www.copaair.com/nuestraempresa/noticias/noticia.aspx?id=127&lang=en. 
  22. ^ "Copa Airlines takes delivery of its # 13 Embraer 190 Embraer 190". 2008-05-19. http://www.copaair.com/nuestraempresa/noticias/noticia.aspx?ID=128&lang=en. 
  23. ^ "Copa Airlines takes delivery of its # 14 Embraer 190 Embraer 190". 2008-10-13. http://www.copaair.com/nuestraempresa/noticias/noticia.aspx?id=146&lang=en. 
  24. ^ "Copa Airlines takes delivery of its # 15 Embraer 190 Embraer 190". 2008-11-17. http://www.copaair.com/nuestraempresa/noticias/noticia.aspx?id=150&lang=en. 
  25. ^ "Copa Airlines takes delivery of its # 7 Boeing 737-800". 2008-06-06. http://www.copaair.com/nuestraempresa/noticias/noticia.aspx?id=130&lang=en. 
  26. ^ "Copa Airlines firm order for four Boeing 737-800". 2008-12-30. http://www.copaair.com/nuestraempresa/noticias/noticia.aspx?id=153&lang=en. 
  27. ^ "Copa Airlines firms orders". September 2008. http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/CPA/496391803x0x230106/4fbc9806-91a1-47ef-bb4f-756b151fde42/Fleet_Plan.pdf. 
  28. ^ Flight 301 at the Aviation Safety Network
  29. ^ 1994 hijacking attempt at the Aviation Safety Network

[edit] External links

Portal icon Panama portal
Portal icon Companies portal
Portal icon Aviation portal
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Copa Airlines
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Copa_Airlines&oldid=478970451"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages