Air Panama will Resume Flights to San José, Costa Rica in the First Quarter of 2025
With the acquisition of two new Dash 8-Q400 aircraft, the airline hopes to expand its domestic flight operations and resume the route between David and San José, Costa Rica, with a connection also in Panama.
Air Panama hopes to resume flights between the city of David in Chiriquí and San José, Costa Rica, in the first quarter of 2025, revealed Eduardo Stagg, commercial manager, noting that they have an expansion plan, reinforced by the acquisition of new aircraft. “Two new aircraft will be added to the service next year and we have plans to open a new route between San José, Costa Rica, to David, and with a connection to Panama City, and we believe that this will benefit the increase in tourism to Panama”. The new aircraft are two Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s with capacity for 76 passengers that were operated by an Alaska Air subsidiary, Horizon Air.
These aircraft, now in the hands of Air Panama, arrived in the country in September of this year 2024 and are being painted and conditioned. In addition, they must process the certificates and documents so that they can be operated in the country by the airline based at the Marcos A. Gelabert Airport in Albrook. Stagg said that for now they do not have any flights planned to Colombia, however they are open to operating charter flights to various destinations. He said that in 2024 they recorded an increase in flight occupancy on routes operating to Chitré, Bocas del Toro, Changuinola and David, in addition to some charter flights. They currently operate three Fokker aircraft, each with a combined capacity of 150 seats. With the arrival of the two Dash 8 aircraft, they will be able to offer 152 additional seats for travel, in addition to the service with a Cessna Grand Caravan for 7 to 9 passengers.
