Twenty-five years ago Copa Airlines began operations in Venezuela with the Panama – Caracas route, with the goal of expanding its network in the Americas and offering Venezuelan travelers more options to connect to multiple destinations.
After the beginning of its service to the Venezuelan capital, on July 24, 2006, the airline started its second route in Venezuela with a non-stop connection to Maracaibo (MAR), progressively adding a third destination on December 1, 2008 to Valencia (VLN), and its most recent addition to its network was on June 30, 2022 with a non-stop flight to Barcelona, Anzoátegui (BLA), reinforcing the international connectivity of eastern Venezuela.
In these 25 years, the Panamanian airline has provided tourism and business opportunities to Venezuelan travelers by offering connections to more than 75 destinations in the Americas and the Caribbean through the «Hub of the Americas» at Tocumen International Airport (PTY). Currently, Copa Airlines is the leading Latin American airline in Venezuela, offering 10,652 weekly seats through its four destinations.
«Boosting Venezuela’s air connectivity is a fundamental commitment for Copa Airlines, which began with Caracas 25 years ago. For this reason, we have always been committed to maintaining our service in the country and continuing to grow our offer of destinations and frequencies,» said Marco Ocando, Senior Director of Marketing for Copa Airlines.
Venezuela is an important market for the Panamanian airline with opportunities for growth. The company has consolidated its operations in the country by offering three daily flights to Caracas (CCS), six weekly flights to Valencia (VLN), four weekly operations to Maracaibo (MAR) and three weekly flights to Barcelona, Anzoátegui (BLA), allowing it to conveniently connect the country’s regions with the Americas and the Caribbean.
«Copa Airlines has been a fundamental ally for Venezuela for many years, and without a doubt, it is a company of utmost importance in the country, as it allows the efficient connectivity for business, tourism, and family reunion necessary for» states Luis Vicente García, General Manager of the Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VenAmCham).
25 years of service to Venezuelans
Copa Airlines has operated uninterruptedly for the past 25 years in Venezuela, during the pandemic crisis offering multiple flights for repatriates and was one of the first companies to resume regular operations in the country. Contributing to the development of tourism and business in the nation, Copa’s service to Venezuelans has been reflected in:
- International Connectivity: Copa Airlines offers 34 weekly flights between Venezuela and Panama, being the main airline operator in this market.
- Fast and convenient connections: On the Caracas – Panama route and connections, Venezuelans have more convenient schedules to connect to more destinations in the Americas in the same day. In addition to fast connections through Tocumen Airport, with an average time of 50 minutes, without going through immigration or customs and with luggage checked directly to the final destination.
- Punctuality: For Copa Airlines, passenger punctuality is a priority, which is why it was recognized by OAG as «The most punctual airline in Latin America» in 2022.
- Premium Services: Copa is a full-service airline, offering flat-bed seats in its Business Class product «Dreams» on its Boeing 737 MAX 9, premium passengers have benefits such as hotels, shopping and services of all kinds.
- Connect Miles: Copa’s frequent flyer program allows customers to redeem miles for complimentary upgrades, better baggage allowance, additional mileage bonuses, discounts on fees and penalties, and access to Copa Airlines lounges or Star Alliance members, covering more than 1,300 destinations in 193 countries.
Copa promotes connectivity in Venezuela
«On this anniversary we want to reaffirm our commitment to Venezuela. We want to continue supporting Venezuelan growth and for this it is of utmost importance to remain interconnected as a country and as a continent, so our goal will continue to be to work to continue connecting Venezuela in the best way with our extensive network of routes in the Americas and the Caribbean,» said Roberto Pulido, general manager of Copa Airlines in Venezuela.
We would also like to thank all the travelers, customers and entities involved in the travel industry that have trusted our product and service over the past 25 years,» added Pulido.
Copa currently operates 6 connecting banks from Tocumen Airport (PTY), which consolidates it as the main airport with the most international destinations in Latin America, operating more than 300 daily flights. Currently, the airline operates more than 30 weekly flights from four destinations in Venezuela.
At the moment, the Panamanian airline has reactivated 95% of its routes that were operated pre-pandemic and in the last year inaugurated six new services: Armenia (AXM), Cucuta (CUC) and Santa Marta (SMR) in Colombia; Barcelona, Venezuela (BLA); Atlanta, United States (ATL); Felipe Angeles Airport (NLU) in Mexico City and in 2023, Copa will have new destinations starting in June: Manta, Ecuador (MEC) with three weekly flights and Baltimore (BWI) with four operations a week.
Copa Airlines reported more than 420,000 passengers mobilized to and from Venezuela in 2022, reflecting the importance of this country to enhance connectivity with the entire American continent.
See also: Copa Airlines increases flights to Valencia, Venezuela
