Copa Airlines to offer new service from Panama to Belo Horizonte
(http://www.earthtimes.org/) PANAMA CITY, June 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Copa Airlines, a subsidiary of Copa Holdings S.A. (NYSE: CPA), announced that it will offer a new service from Panama and connecting cities to Belo Horizonte, Brazil, beginning August 21, 2008.
"This new flight to Belo Horizonte strengthens our position as the best travel option in Latin America," said Pedro Heilbron, CEO, Copa Airlines. "We continue to expand our extensive route network and reaffirm our commitment to the development of business and tourism in Latin America and the rest of the American continent."
The new flight will depart Panama on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 6:48 p.m.*, arriving in Belo Horizonte at 3:29 a.m.* the following day. The return flight will depart Belo Horizonte on Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 4:28 a.m.*, arriving in Panama at 9:11 a.m.
Belo Horizonte will be the airline's 42nd destination and its fourth in Brazil. Copa also offers service to Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Manaus, Brazil. Copa passengers can travel to the principal cities of the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico and the United States with immediate connections and no immigration or customs processing, through Copa's Hub of the Americas in Panama.
Belo Horizonte is the third largest city in Brazil with a metropolitan area population in excess of five million. Belo Horizonte has a developed industrial sector, being traditionally an axis of the Brazilian siderurgical and metallurgical industries, since the state of Minas Gerais has always been very rich in minerals, specifically iron ore. Many multinational companies have established subsidiaries in the region; sectors represented include automobile, steel, electronics, textile, cosmetic, food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, furnishing and refractory companies, among others. It is also considered a cultural center, with three universities, museums, libraries, and sports stadiums, as well as colonial buildings and ecological attractions. The apital of the state of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte is served by an extensive ir and land transportation network, which facilitates tourist travel and nvestment.
Copa will operate a Boeing 737-700 Next Generation aircraft on the flight. his comfortable and modern aircraft has seating capacity for 124 passengers.
-- 12 in Business Class (Clase Ejecutiva) and 112 in the main cabin. The aircraft has a spacious interior, with large overhead compartments, reclining seats with headrests and a 12-channel audio-video entertainment system.
*All times are local.
About Copa Holdings
Copa Holdings, through its Copa Airlines and AeroRepublica operating subsidiaries, is a leading Latin American provider of passenger and cargo service. Copa Airlines currently offers 126 daily scheduled flights to 42 destinations in 22 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean through its Hub of the Americas based in Panama City, Panama. In addition, Copa Airlines provides passengers with access to flights to more than 120 other international destinations through codeshare agreements with Continental Airlines and other airlines. From the U.S., Copa offers nonstop service to Panama 20 times a week from Miami; daily from New York City, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.; and 12 times a week from Orlando. Copa is an associate member of the Global SkyTeam alliance, giving its passengers access to more than 15,200 daily flights to more than 790 cities in 162 countries.
AeroRepublica, the second-largest carrier in Colombia, provides service to 12 cities in Colombia as well as international connectivity with Copa Airlines' Hub of the Americas through daily flights from Bogota, Bucaramanga, Cali and Medellin. For more information, visit http://www.copaair.com .
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