Panamanian airline Copa is making a big bet: You’re tired of waiting around in overrun airports for long flights home.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Spirit Airlines announces weekly non-stop service between its Fort Lauderdale base and Panama City, Panama, beginning January 31, 2008. Panama City is Spirit’s 5th destination in Central America and its 40th destination overall. In addition to non-stop service from its Fort Lauderdale base, Spirit also will offer connecting service to Panama from its domestic network. Spirit serves all routes with its fleet of Airbus aircraft, the youngest in the Americas. Spirit Airlines previously announced three new destinations it will serve in 2007. Service to Ponce, Puerto Rico, begins November 1 with daily flights. The inaugural flight to Aruba is on November 10 with weekly flights. Daily service to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island begins on December 13. (more)

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PANAMA CITY, Nov. 12 — Copa Holdings, S.A. , and its Copa Airlines and Aero Republica operating subsidiaries, today released preliminary passenger traffic statistics for October 2007. For the month of October 2007, Copa Holdings’ system-wide passenger traffic (RPM) increased 10.8%, while capacity (ASM) increased 17.9%. System load factor for October 2007 was 69.3%, a 4.4 percentage point decrease when compared to October 2006. Copa Airlines passenger traffic (RPM) for October 2007 increased 16.1% while capacity (ASM) increased 21.7%. This resulted in a load factor of 72.2%, a 3.5 percentage point decrease when compared to October 2006. (more)

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Panama’s civil aviation authorities on Tuesday denied reports of an alleged attempt to hijack a Panamanian plane coming into the country from Havana.

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Brian Homewood RIO DE JANEIRO

Copa Airlines of Panama has unveiled a new company image, the result of an alliance with Continental Airlines. The new look is shown on a Boeing 737-700, one of 12 scheduled for delivery over the next few years to replace existing aircraft. Copa Airlines has also added features to its service, including its Clase Ejecutiva - a business class cabin - and full participation in Continental’s OnePass frequent flier programme.

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Colombia’s number two carrier, AeroRepublica, is now owned by Panama’s Copa Airlines, which has bought about 85% of its shares. AeroRepublica will retain its brand in a “strategic alliance” with Copa, with significant technology transfers from Copa to AeroRepublica.

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Brazil’s low-cost carrier GOL is expanding its international presence by codesharing with Panama’s COPA Airlines. In the first phase, COPA is carrying GOL’s code on COPA flights between Panama and Brazil, and GOL carries COPA’s code on all its flights within Brazil from the gateways of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

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PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC

Airline will expand services to the USA, and hopes to benefit from Continental link

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BRENDAN SOBIE / SINGAPORE

Alliance airlines in talks with Panama carrier while rival group looks to replace Mexicana

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KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has revealed that it will begin direct flights to Panama from summer 2008.

The carrier will fly non-stop to Panama City Tocumen airport from its Amsterdam Schiphol base three times a week from 30 March.

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