I saw this article and another about Air Panama flying to Grand Cayman in their new Fokker 100 passenger jets.  Soon we will hear about Copa offering direct David to Miami service and more.  Airports and roadways open markets around the world.  Panama is no different.

Remember the end of the video about Panama that says “with over 80 direct flights, Panama is where the world meets”!!  If you did not see it, let me show it to you again

Panama City, Panama – January 25,  2012 — Copa Airlines, subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A., {NYSE: CPA} today announced it will begin nonstop service between Las Vegas, Nev., and Panama, Republic of Panama, on June 27, 2012.  Las Vegas will be Copa Airlines’ seventh destination in the U.S.

“We are very pleased to launch the only non-stop service to Las Vegas, a major tourism, convention and entertainment center, and the first direct service between Las Vegas and Central and South America,” said Joseph Mohan, Commercial and Planning VP, Copa Airlines.  “Panama was number one in the New York Times list of 45 places to visit in 2012, and our new flight also will offer the fastest and most direct way to fly to Las Vegas from Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru and from many other destinations in Latin America.”

The approximately 6:30-hour flight will depart McCarran International Airport’s new Terminal 3 in Las Vegas on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 5:37 a.m., arriving at Copa’s Hub of the Americas in Tocumen International Airport in Panama City at 2:36 p.m. The return flight will depart Panama on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 9:54 a.m., arriving in Las Vegas at 2:30 p.m.

“Our new partnership with Copa Airlines creates a travel gateway connecting Las Vegas to more than 30 Latin American cities,” said Cathy Tull, senior vice president of marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “Increasing our accessibility from new and emerging markets will introduce Las Vegas to millions of potential new visitors and help us achieve our goal of 30 percent international visitation over the next decade.”

Copa will operate a Boeing 737-700 Next-Generation aircraft on the flight, with seating for 12 passengers in Business Class and 112 in the main cabin.  On-board service includes complimentary meals and beverages, including wines and spirits; a 12-channel audio-visual entertainment system in English, Spanish and Portuguese, with new movies monthly and complimentary headsets.  Flight attendants are bilingual.

“McCarran International Airport has spent the past several years planning and constructing Terminal 3 in large part as a means of attracting additional international air service to Las Vegas,” said Randall H. Walker, Clark County Director of Aviation. “Copa’s arrival will coincide perfectly with our new terminal’s June 27 opening, and we look forward to welcoming its customers into McCarran’s newest facilities beginning this summer.”

From the Hub of the Americas, Copa Airlines offers flights to more international destinations than any other airline from any other hub in the Latin American region.  Passengers can make convenient connections to destinations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, without customs/immigration waits for in-transit passengers.

The airline also will begin service in June between Panama and three other destinations:  Willemstad, Curacao; Recife, Brazil; and Liberia, Costa Rica, bringing Copa’s total number of destinations served to 63.

The airline operates one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the industry and its on-time performance above 90 percent is among the best worldwide.  Passengers may purchase tickets at copaair.com in U.S. dollars, as well as 10 other currencies and can earn rewards through the OnePass and MileagePlus frequent-flyer programs shared with alliance partner United-Continental.  Copa Airlines will join Star Alliance, the world’s largest global alliance, in April 2012.

From the U.S., Copa Airlines currently offers nonstop service to Panama from Miami, New York City (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), Washington, D.C. (Dulles), Orlando and Chicago (O’Hare).