Panama’s Copa Airlines and Diamond Aircraft Canada recently announced a $5 million firm order for eight Diamond Aircraft DA40 NG aircraft. This agreement makes the Panamanian airline Diamond’s first customer in Central America.
See also: Copa Airlines expects delays in the delivery of new Boeing 737 MAX 9s
Last week, Copa Airlines unveiled its plans for the decade, including the addition of new aircraft and destinations. In line with this growth, the company will invest in training more pilots and aeronautical personnel.
This purchase will enable the renewal of the Latin American Aviation Academy (ALAS) fleet.
Con una inversión de $5M en 8 aeronaves @DiamondAircraft DA40, modernizaremos la flota de aeronaves de entrenamiento de nuestra Academia Latinoamericana de Aviación Superior (ALAS).
Estas aeronaves, que poseen los más altos estándares de seguridad, son más amigables con el… pic.twitter.com/sHlNCkytee
— Copa Airlines (@CopaAirlines) April 18, 2023
Diamond Aircraft’s first Panamanian customer
The DA40 NG is powered by an Austro Engine AE300 diesel engine, derived from the Mercedes-Benz OM640 engine, offering 168 hp. The aircraft features a Garmin G1000 NXi digital suite and is exceptionally fuel efficient and quiet, according to the manufacturer.
The aircraft has four composite seats, fixed tricycle landing gear and a T-tail.
It has a cruise speed of 271 km/h (168 mph) and can fly up to 1,331 kilometers (827 miles) at a maximum altitude of 5,000 meters (16,404 feet).
The DA40 NG is typically used in flight schools for visual flight rules (VFR) navigation training and instrument approach and landing procedures. Currently, more than 2,500 of these aircraft are in operation worldwide.
“The DA40 NG is one of the most technologically advanced training aircraft on the market, and we are excited to partner with Diamond Aircraft Canada and D Aviation Group in Panama to bring it to our Academy (ALAS) and prepare our students for their future as pilots,” said Bolivar Dominguez, vice president of flight operations for Copa Airlines.
ALAS currently operates a fleet of Piper Seneca and Cadet aircraft for instrument training and multi-engine rating phases.
Currently, there are 80 active students, with an estimated 50 new pilots set to graduate in 2023 and join the airline’s pilot team.
Copa Airlines also announced the acquisition of a fifth Boeing 737 MAX flight simulator for pilot training, valued at $50 million.
“These student pilots are receiving world-class flight training at the ALAS Academy and I look forward to the day when they will join our current Copa Airlines pilots in the cockpit,” Bolivar concluded.
