Copa Airlines recognises potential for alliance with Air China

Copa Airlines CEO Pedro Heilbron acknowledged the potential for establishing the connections of the airline with the new direct service scheduled for Mar-2018 by Air China on the China-Panama route (Xinhua, 30-Jan-2018). "The idea is that when their flights [from Air China] come to Panama, they can connect with the Copa network, ensure that they are successful and that in the future they can increase it... if this Air-China- Copa works well, we can surely see those flight frequencies increasing towards the future", he said. He said the concept in the "hub of the Americas", or the hub of Copa Airlines that operates in Panama City Tocumen International Airport, "is to work with other airlines with the connectivity of other regions of the world, such as they have done it very successfully with European airlines". Mr Heilbron said that they are already exchanging documents to close the codeshare agreement, stating: "Panama is a great opportunity, since China is one of the origins of travellers with more growth of travelers worldwide". Our region is a different and attractive region that is not well connected with China".