Copa Airlines announces new direct flights to Salvador and Fortaleza in Brazil, and to Barbados

Copa Airlines, a subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A. and a member of the Star Alliance global airline network, has announced that it will begin operations in July this year to Salvador and Fortaleza in Brazil and to the island of Barbados in the Caribbean. The airline will thereby expand its route network across the continent, connecting 78 cities in 32 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean through the Hub of the Americas in Panama City.

Copa Airlines will fly to Fortaleza and Salvador from 18 and 24 July respectively. These new routes in north east Brazil bring the airline's destinations in the South American country to nine. Flights to Barbados start on 17 July, making it Copa Airlines' sixteenth destination in the Caribbean.

"For Copa Airlines it is a matter of pride to begin flights to Fortaleza and Salvador in Brazil, and to Barbados, which strengthen our presence in Brazil and consolidate our leadership in the Caribbean. These new routes allow Copa Airlines to keep expanding the air connectivity of the Hub of the Americas in Panama with the important north east region of Brazil and with the increasingly interesting and attractive Caribbean region," said Copa Airlines chief executive Pedro Heilbron.

On the benefits of opening these routes, Heilbron said: "Air connectivity between Panama and these new destinations will create significant opportunities for the development and strengthening of tourism and commerce for the three cities, as well as for Panama and the other 74 destinations the airline offers."

The most punctual airline in Latin America

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Flight CM 342 will operate initially twice weekly on Wednesdays and Sundays, leaving Panama at 3:25 p.m. and arriving in Fortaleza, Brazil at 11:57 p.m. The return flight, CM 343, will leave Fortaleza on Mondays and Thursdays at 2:13 a.m., arriving in Panama at 6:45 a.m. For this direct flight Copa Airlines will operate a modern Boeing 737-800 with capacity for 160 travellers, 16 in business class and 144 in the main cabin.

As well as its famous beaches, among them Praia do Futuro, Jericoacoara and Canoa Quebrada, the region covering Ceará state offers extensive cultural and natural diversity, with varied attractions and places of interest for all kinds of traveller. Its capital, Fortaleza, is a key destination for anyone wanting to see one of the most significant cities in the north east of the country, known as an important tourism, commercial and financial centre. Its main attractions include the Dragão do Mar Centre of Art and Culture, with numerous galleries, museums, cinemas and theatres, and the spectacular Metropolitan Cathedral of Fortaleza.

Further south in the same region lies Salvador, capital of Bahia state and the most populous city in north east Brazil, with around three million inhabitants. Famous for its great carnival celebrations, its beaches and its rich cultural heritage, Salvador is a modern metropolis that retains the charm of colonial buildings, such as the first cathedral built in Brazil and the beautiful Pelourinho district in the historic centre, founded in 1549.

From 24 July, flight CM 474 will operate initially twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays, leaving Panama at 3:15 p.m. and arriving in Salvador, Brazil at 00:30 a.m. The return flight, CM 475, will leave Salvador on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1:30 a.m., arriving in Panama at 6:50 a.m. For this direct flight Copa Airlines will operate a modern Boeing 737-800 with capacity for 160 travellers, 16 in business class and 144 in the main cabin.

Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From 17 July the airline will offer two weekly flights to this spectacular Caribbean island which, as well as its famous turquoise beaches, offers travellers a unique experience thanks to its landscapes, the variety of its food and the informal, sophisticated charm of its people.

Copa Airlines flight CM 910 will leave Panama on Tuesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m., arriving in Bridgetown at 1:00 p.m. The return flight, CM 911, will operate on the same days, leaving at 2:00 p.m. and arriving in Panama at 5:00 p.m. The route will be operated with an Embraer E190, with capacity for 94 passengers, 10 in business class and 84 in the main cabin.

Copa Airlines currently operates an average of 350 daily flights through the Hub of the Americas at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, connecting 75 cities in 31 countries across the continent. In early 2018 the airline was recognised for the fifth consecutive year by FlightStats as the most punctual airline in Latin America, and by the Official Airline Guide in London as the fourth most punctual airline in the world and the most punctual airline in Latin America.