New International Flight From BWI Airport Takes Travelers To Central America

Press release from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport:

June 28, 2023

Copa Airlines, based in Panama City, today launched new international service between Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Panama City, Panama. The carrier offers four weekly flights between BWI Marshall and Panama. The new service will offer efficient connections to destinations across Latin America.

“We are thrilled to welcome Copa Airlines to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and to celebrate this new nonstop service to Panama,” said Ricky Smith, Executive Director/CEO of BWI Marshall Airport. “We are confident that this partnership will foster tourism, trade, and cultural exchanges between our two regions.”

“BWI Thurgood Marshall has built an outstanding reputation for convenient, friendly, and reliable service, and we look forward to delivering this exceptional service to customers to and from Panama City,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “This is a win for Maryland, for our BWI Marshall team and for travelers in America and abroad.”

The airline will utilize Boeing 737-800 aircraft for the new route. Copa Airlines operates an average of 300 daily flights through its Hub of the Americas, located at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City. BWI Marshall is the 14th U.S. destination for Copa Airlines.

"The launch of this new route to Baltimore strengthens Copa's position as a major player in connecting the Americas, effectively bridging distances and fostering connectivity across the Americas,” said Dennis Cary, Sr. Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Copa Airlines. “This new route opens up exciting tourism opportunities for travelers in the Baltimore area to explore dozens of destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean, while also promoting commercial exchange between regions.”

The new service from Copa Airlines comes as airline and passenger traffic continue to rebound at BWI Marshall. In recent months, passenger traffic has routinely approached levels not seen since before the global pandemic. Airline seat capacity for the summer is expected to grow more than 10% from last year and is projected to nearly match the same period in 2019, before the pandemic. The busiest day at BWI Marshall Airport since the start of the pandemic was recorded this month, on June 16, with 34,984 departing passengers.

This press release was produced by Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The views expressed here are the author’s own.