Copa Airlines Celebrates Five Years Of Flights To Denver

Having first inaugurated flight services to Denver International Airport in December 2017, Panamanian flag carrier Copa Airlines is honored to celebrate five years of providing non-stop services to and from the airport this month. From bolstering air connectivity to facilitating cultural exchange, let’s discuss what the airline has been delivering with these flight services.

The inaugural flight

But before diving into what five years of flight services have brought, let’s look at the flag carrier’s first-ever touchdown at Denver International Airport on December 11th, 2017. Operating as Copa Airlines flight CM 477, the inaugural flight to Denver marked the 13th US destination for the airline and was also a part of the airline’s 70th-anniversary expansion plans.

SIMPLEFLYING VIDEO OF THE DAY

The new non-stop flight was going to connect Coloradoans to more than 55 destinations in Latin America, with CM 477 taking off from Denver at 22:30 before arriving at Panama’s Tocumen International Airport at approximately 06:05. The return flight, CM 476, was scheduled to depart from Panama at 11:50 and touch down at Denver at around 16:12.

Flight frequencies were scheduled as four-times-weekly, with flight services on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Initially operating on these flights was the airline’s Boeing 737-800NG, configured for 154 passengers in two cabins. Upon announcing the new route in 2017, Pedro Heilbron, then-Chief Executive Officer of Copa Airlines, said:

“Denver is our 13th US destination and is a flourishing mecca of progress. Panama is a nucleus of travel and commerce for Central and South America and the Caribbean. Uniting the two cities through this route will boost tourism and economic development between Colorado, Panama, and the rest of the region.”

Bridging benefits for two cities

And Heilbron was right, the non-stop flights certainly boosted tourism and economic development between the two cities. In the relatively short span of half a decade and even with the subtle ceasing of services in the last couple of years with the pandemic, Copa Airlines has carried more than 170,000 passengers on more than 1,300 flights at Denver International Airport. In recent months, the number of passengers carried between the two cities even exceeded pre-pandemic volumes.

The flag carrier is currently the only one providing non-stop flights between Denver and Panama, so the numbers are probably not that shocking, significantly since many Coloradoans travel to Panama for business and other job opportunities besides tourism. Denver’s Mayor, Michael B. Hancock, emphasized this point as he said:

“We enthusiastically celebrate this historic milestone with our partner Copa Airlines. Copa’s service has directly benefitted Denver’s economy by providing convenient access to the growing region of Latin America, facilitating the exchange of commerce and culture, and creating jobs for Denver residents.”

Besides convenient connectivity for those in Denver, residents in Panama also benefit equally. Denver International Airport is home to one of the largest hubs for Copa Airline’s Star Alliance partner, United Airlines, further signaling the extensive and convenient connectivity options for Panamanians who seek to explore North America and beyond.

Bottom line

Coincidentally, the airline’s fifth anniversary with the airport will also mark the 75th anniversary since it began operations. It is thrilling to see how much the relationship between Copa Airlines and Denver International Airport has grown in just five short years, even with the slight interruption from the pandemic. Although it is uncertain if the airline will ever upgrade the flight frequency from its still-current four-times-weekly flights, given how vital the route has become, there is quite a high possibility.