TAP, the leading Portuguese airline, and Copa Airlines, a subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A., both Star Alliance member airlines – the world’s leading airline alliance – have entered into a code-share agreement, which means more flight options and better connections for their customers through Copa’s Hub of the Americas in Panama City and TAP’s Lisbon hub, a convenient gateway Europe.
Copa Airlines’ strategic Hub of the Americas in Panama City allows passengers arriving from Europe to take advantage of quick and efficient connections to over 50 destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean, especially to the most important cities in the region. Likewise, Latin-American passengers can now enjoy more flight options to European by travelling on TAP from its Lisbon hub.“Having our Star Alliance partner, COPA, as a natural extension of TAP’s flights to Bogotá (Colombia) and Panama City, through its broad network of Central and South American destinations is unquestionably an asset for our customers. It offers them access to a vast and diverse range of good flight choices to a region of the world that is bustling with both business and tourism-related commerce, where TAP has been strengthening its presence”, remarked TAP CEO Fernando Pinto.
This agreement, which complements and extends the network of destinations offered by both companies, will also improve connections between the European continent and Latin America, thus promoting new opportunities for business and tourism growth.
In this first stage of implementing the agreement, TAP began adding its code to Copa’s flights between Panama City and Bogotá, and to flights to and from Panama City and Bogotá to other cities in Colombia, namely, Barranquilla, Medellin, Cali and Cartagena. Copa Airlines has in turn added its code to flights operated by TAP departing from Panama City to Lisbon. Both TAP and Copa are working on expanding code-share operations in the region.
Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines, said: “This important agreement between Copa Airlines and TAP Portugal is an ideal vehicle for our airline to continue growing in Europe. This cooperation agreement will significantly benefit our passengers, since the network of connections between Europe and Latin America will be strengthened with world-class services and a consistent, high-quality travel experience through Copa Airlines’ Hub of the Americas in Panama City.”
TAP and Copa passengers will also enjoy the many benefits offered by Star Alliance, the world’s leading network of airlines, including reciprocity between their respective customer loyalty programmes and recognition of the programmes’ Gold and Silver status throughout the entire network of member airlines, which serves 1,321 destinations in 193 countries around the world.
