Panama charter flights plummet, scheduled flights up

INCREASED air connectivity in Panama  and empty returning flights are factors in the plummeting  number of passengers arriving from abroad.

Charter flights passengers fell 39% from 136,000 in 2012 to 82,000 in 2013.

According to the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) figures for this year are not yet available, but a similar decline is expected.

The decrease in passengers traveling on charter flights is due to the introduction of   more scheduled flights, which experienced a 4% increase in the number of passengers between January and October this year.

Ernesto Reyna, president of the Panamanian Association of Travel Agencies and Tourism (Apavit) told Martesfinanciero.com that “… The destination has become expensive, especially for charter flights, because full planeloads come but return empty. And profitability is measured when full flights enter and exit. Greater coordination is needed between Panama and the countries from which these flights originate so that there is passenger exchange, i.e. the flight arrives packed with foreigners and return to their destination in the same way.