Compania Panamena de Aviacion (COPA) Airlines, the national air carrier of Panama, has announced a new agreement with Tropic Air of Belize. The new agreement is an interline arrangement that will enhance cooperation between the two airlines who are traveling internationally.
Since 2015, COPA Airlines has been operating a non-stop route from Panama City, Panama to the Philip Goldson International Airport in Ladyville near Belize City. The new interline agreement between COPA and Tropic Air will allow incoming COPA Airlines passengers to transfer directly to Tropic Air flights without having to purchase separate tickets or re-check their baggage.
COPA is one of the largest airlines operating in Latin America, and it is expected that this new agreement will help promote and encourage tourism in Belize. According to the Belizean Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Manuel Heredia, Junior, the new COPA-Tropic Air agreement is “a natural and welcome evolution that will strengthen ties between Latin America and Belize.”
John Greif III, the president of Tropic Air, stated that the interline agreement with COPA Airlines has been in the works for more than two years and was the result of a lot of hard work. Greiff stated that his hopes for the new agreement include expanding Belizean business owners’ ability to reach a wider audience across Latin America. Greif also added, “Latin American tourists spend just as much as tourists from North America and they [tourists from Latin America] also visit Belize during the offseason,” an important consideration for the local tourism industry.
COPA Airlines was founded in 1947 and currently serves 74 destinations in 31 different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including their Panama City to Belize City route. Christophe Didier, the vice president of global sales for COPA Airlines said, “Our goal is to sell Belize and make it a more attractive destination for tourists coming from the markets in which we operate.”
It is unknown at this time when the new interline agreement will take effect. Tropic Air was founded in 1979 and currently flies to 17 destinations domestically as well as to Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.
“We warmly welcome this new agreement between COPA Airlines and Tropic Air,” said Larry France, marketing manager of Chabil Mar. “And we look forward to welcoming new visitors from all across Latin America to beautiful Belize.”
Chabil Mar is a boutique resort located on the Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize.
For more information about vacationing in Belize or Placencia, feel free to chat with our Concierge at: concierge@chabilmarvillas.com or contact our Reservations Manager at: reservations@chabilmarvillas.com. Or perhaps you would like to call toll free from the US or Canada: 1-866-417-2377.
