Panama Stopover
Program expanded to 15 days by Copa Airlines
Copa Airlines is
stretching its Panama Stopover program from seven to 15 days, giving the
carrier and the country a longer window to turn Tocumen International Airport’s
connecting passengers into actual visitors.
Source: Business
Traveller
The expansion,
offered at no additional airfare cost, comes as Copa prepares to carry close to
21 million passengers in 2026 and operate up to 420 daily flights through
Panama City.
Both the airline and
Panama’s tourism partners aim to welcome over 250,000 stopover visitors in
2026, up from 215,000 last year. The airline believes that the additional week
in its stopover program will give passengers the opportunity to visit a country
that they might not typically consider.
Copa’s focus on
stopovers is built on the country’s strategic geography. Its position between
North, Central, and South America makes Tocumen Airport an ideal point for the
airline’s hub-and-spoke operation.
This year alone, Copa
aims to operate up to 420 daily flights to 89 destinations across 32 countries,
and expects to carry approximately close to 21 million passengers.
The Panamanian
carrier, which has been named for 11 consecutive years as Latin America’s most
on-time airline, according to Cirium data, hopes to handle over 20 million
connections at Tocumen.
And to facilitate
this, the airline has introduced a Stopover program aimed at making it easier
for travelers to include Panama in their itinerary without incurring additional
airfare. This program addresses one of the main obstacles to taking a side
trip.
To make things easier
for its passengers, those registered for the stopover program have access to
exclusive deals and discounts on hotels, restaurants and tours through Panama’s
tourism board.
One important caveat
is that passengers looking to access the stopover program must request it
before their ticket is originally issued.
Copa’s 15-day window
provides airlines and tourism authorities with a more appealing product for a
wider range of travelers. Leisure travelers, for instance, can consider adding
a new destination to their vacations, while business travelers have the option
to extend their work trips and add a quick meeting in Panama City at no extra
cost.
The Panamanian
carrier’s stopover program is among the world’s best-performing models,
alongside Icelandair, which has long used stopovers to make Iceland a natural
add-on for transatlantic passengers.