Copa readies 30 planes for new normal take-off

Copa Airlines is readying  30 aircraft to resume flights stemming from the “new normal,” on June 26   say company officials..

“The planes that are parked have undergone a continuous maintenance process since they stopped flying and now we are preparing for the start of operations,” said senior maintenance director Daniel Cohen.

Copa has maintained its aircraft since the Government suspended international flights for a period of 30 days on March 22, a measure that was extended and is in force until June 23.

The company has said it plans to begin operations on June 26, with 30 of its 102 aircraft. The  date is subject to the decisions of the Panamanian authorities,

“We estimate to have about 30 aircraft ready to return, representing 30% of the total fleet. Initial demand will be much lower but we already have a plan and we expect the market to stimulate,” Cohen explained.

According to official information, 98 aircraft are parked at Tocumen International Airport, while the other four are spread between Colombia and Costa Rica.

Before the COVID-19 crisis, Copa operated with an average of 350 daily flights connecting 80 cities in 33 countries in the Americas and the Caribbean.

Initially, operations “will amount to just 10% to 12% of pre-crisis capacity, with the projection to progressively increase to 40% by the end of 2020,” the company has said.

Industry studies indicate that the Copa operation together with tourism represent 14% of Panama’s gross domestic product (GDP).