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Copa Airlines announced the signing of a new agreement with Boeing and GE Aerospace for the purchase of up to 60 aircraft Boeing 737 MAX, for an approximate investment of US$13.5 billion at list price.
This order is added to the 40 aircraft pending delivery of the current agreement, which will allow the Airline to incorporate more than 100 new aircraft in the next eight years and project a fleet greater than those 200 aircraft for the year 2034, thus strengthening its growth and expansion plan in the region.
Until 60 new boeing 737 MAX for Cup
The new aircraft will be delivered between 2030 and 2034 – subject to changes in delivery schedule – and may be used both for fleet growth and for the replacement of existing aircraft, in accordance with the needs of the Airline during that period. The agreement gives Copa the flexibility to select between versions 737 MAX 8, MAX 9 and MAX 10, according to the needs of your operation. This will allow you to adjust the composition of your fleet according to demand, capacity requirements and growth plans.
“For Copa Airlines, The signing of this agreement represents an important step to continue strengthening the operation and connectivity that we provide from Panama. Through the Hub of the Americas®, We have consolidated a connection center that today allows us to respond to the market with a secure operation, efficient and reliable. Incorporating new aircraft will be key to continue expanding our operation and network of destinations and thus accompany the economic development of Panama and the region., generating new jobs and growth in the tourism sector”, expressed Pedro Heilbrón, CEO of Copa Airlines.
A broader network to connect Panama with the continent
A larger fleet will allow Copa Airlines to expand its route network, increase frequencies and strengthen Panama's position as the main air connection point on the continent. Currently, the airline connects 88 destinations in 32 countries through the Americas Hub® and projects sustained growth in the number of passengers transported, with the expectation of passing the 20.9 millions estimated for 2026 To over 27 million by the end of the decade. The progressive incorporation of these aircraft will be essential to sustain this growth in the next decade and strengthen the competitiveness of Cup and of Panama in the region.
Growth that translates into employment for the country
The fleet expansion contemplated in this agreement will have a direct impact on the generation of quality jobs in Panama. It is estimated that each new aircraft that is incorporated into the operation of Copa Airlines generates between 60 and 70 direct jobs in Panama. With an expanding operation, Copa Airlines plans to create more than 2,100 new direct jobs in Panama in the next four years and more than X thousand in 8 years when adding the new aircraft order, in areas such as operational personnel, cabin crew, pilots, aviation mechanics and administrative functions.
Added to this growth is the multiplier effect generated by the aviation industry in the economy.. According to data from ATAG and THERE IT IS, Each job generated by aviation and tourism drives the creation of more than 10 additional jobs—direct, indirect and induced—in the economy.
Heilbron noted that the airline will benefit from the operational commonality of its fleet of more than 110 planes 737, which includes the Next-Generation 737, 737 MAX and Converted Freighters 737 the Boeing.
The versatility and reliability of aircraft 737-9 and 737-8 allow Copa Airlines operate short, high-density flights and some of the longest routes in the world with the 737 MAX, connecting Panama with much of North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.
“This important request is based on more than 40 years of association with Copa and the airline's success story with the family Boeing 737”, Stephanie Pope said., president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The additional aircraft 737 MAX will help Copa maintain one of the youngest and most capable fleets in the world, at the same time they strengthen Panama as a key destination for business and tourism.”
With extensive experience operating the 737, the airline connects 88 destinations in 32 North American countries, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
According to the commercial market forecast of Boeing, Latin American and Caribbean airlines will need more than 2.300 new planes in the next 20 years, with single aisle aircraft, As the 737 MAX, which will represent almost the 90% of deliveries.
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