Panama is often associated with it’s capital, Panama City, when talking about transportation, business, and a general hub for tourism in the country. If you’re coming to Panama from North America, no matter where in the country you’re headed to, you almost always need to head through the capital. And while that may not seem like a big deal, if you’re heading to the more remote towns and cities in the west of the country, it is. David is the capital of Chiriquí, Panama’s westernmost province, and home to many of the country’s top tourist, and expat relocation destinations. It’s also a big business hub for the nation’s agricultural industry.
Now, Copa is slated to enter the domestic market at the end of January with $80 flights into Panama’s 2nd largest city, and it’s a big deal.
Giving people a choice in Panama airlines
This is why the push to get reliable, cheap flights to David has been so important in recent years. They do exist, but up until now, the only flights between Panama’s capital and 2nd-largest city David have been through domestic carrier Air Panama. Now, Copa has entered the mix, and will enter the domestic market for the first time ever with two daily non-stops from Panama to David; much to the chagrin of Air Panama and its investors. The flights will be about 30-40% cheaper, and leave from Tocumen (Panama’s biggest int. airport) rather than Albrook (Panama City’s regional airport). Passengers will now have two competitive choices for flights, and two entirely different airports to choose from.
Why is the Panama-David route important?
While on the surface it just looks like a great way to make prices more competitive, there’s actually a lot more to the PTY-David Copa flight that’s at stake. The main reason, from an expat or tourist perspective, that a Copa-run David flight is important is that it will allow international flyers to bypass transferring airports in Panama City, and connect straight through to David. This will save hours, and lots of headaches if you have a long flight.
So, let’s say you’re headed to David or one of its surrounding towns from New York. With Air Panama, you’d need to fly into Panama City with one ticket, go through customs/immigration, cross the city to Albrook, and coordinate a new flight on a new carrier to David. With Copa flying there, you bypass this step entirely. A PTY to David Copa flight could save you 3-5 hours of travel time, and about $100 in travel expenses. Even better, as they’re new to the market, the ticket price is also cheaper.
New route not without its controversy
Copa’s venture into domestic flights is far from new, but it has had lots of pushback from Air Panama, and many others in the domestic airline business. In fact, Air Panama tried to block Copa from starting its new route in court, claiming that it violates Panamanian law. The law in question states that in order to operate domestic air travel, your company must have its majority ownership in Panama.
Copa, though a historically Panamanian company, is actually controlled by an international holding company known as Copa Holdings, S.A. This comprises of Copa Airlines, Copa Airlines Colombia, and a number of airport properties. Copa has so far skated, however, claiming that enough of their operations are based in Panama, and that limiting domestic travel to one airline is unconstitutional, as it limits competition and is tantamount to a monopoly. As of this month, the courts agree with Copa, and flights are already being booked on their website.
For now, the company will add the PTY-David route with 14 weekly flights, and advertise the connections to an international market, as well as domestic. Getting to places like Boquete, Bocas del Toro, Las Lajas, and the hub of David will be easier than ever. And the local economies should see a positive difference sooner than later.
