Copa Airlines to Launch Baltimore to Panama Service, with Easy Connections Across Latin America

A new direct service connecting Baltimore with Panama City has been announced by Copa Airlines, with flights to begin this summer.

From June 28, Copa Airlines will launch four flights per week from its central hub in Panama City to Baltimore, Maryland, further boosting the Panamanian flag carrier’s network throughout the Americas.

The outbound journey will depart Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport (PTY) at 9:07 a.m. local time on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, arriving at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) at 3:07 p.m. EST. The return legs will depart BWI on the same days at 4:22 p.m., touching down in Panama at 8:22 p.m.

The new route will also act as a springboard to dozens of other destinations in Latin America. Tocumen International serves as a major hub connecting South America to North America, and Copa Airlines is the airport’s dominant carrier, with more than 1,200 weekly departures to more than 70 destinations across both continents.

“Copa Airlines is pleased to start the year with the announcement of the new service to Baltimore BWI Marshall Airport,” said Dennis Cary, Sr. Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Copa Airlines. “We are excited to connect Baltimore, a city with great history and tourism appeal, to more than 55 cities in Latin America.

“With this new route, we continue increasing connectivity throughout the Americas, making it easier for people from 79 destinations in 32 countries to connect with family, friends, business associates and new adventures with a single easy connection in Panama’s Tocumen Airport, the Hub of the Americas.”

Copa Airlines is steadily building an extensive network in the United States, with Baltimore set to become the carrier’s fifteenth destination in the country. Other U.S. destinations served by Copa Airlines include Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), and New York (JFK).

Ricky Smith, Executive Director at BWI, said: “We welcome Copa Airlines and this new international service. Copa will link Maryland and the National Capital Region with the rich culture of Panama and offer easy connections across Latin America. We look forward to new tourism and economic development opportunities as a result of this partnership.”

From Panama City, Copa Airlines serves almost every major country in Latin America, North America, and the Caribbean, from Argentina to Venezuela and everywhere in between. Another new route to be launched by the carrier will be a direct service from PTY to Manta (MEC), a coastal city in Ecuador, which will begin on June 27. This will be Copa Airlines’ third destination in the South American country after Quito (UIO) and Guayaquil (GYE).

The announcement also comes, however, as Copa Airline pilots threaten to strike next week. Around 1,200 pilots could walk off the job, citing post-pandemic working conditions primarily driven by the airline’s reduced flight schedule, wage cuts, and inflation.