ISTAT Jetrader - Summer 2024 - 10

PERSPECTIVES
open skies agreements, or very liberal
route rights agreements, but it was not
like that 30 years ago. Back then, it
was very difficult to obtain route rights,
and the Copa team had to dedicate a
lot of effort in negotiating new bilateral
agreements, open skies agreements
and the like. To this day, we still put
some effort into that, but the skies are
much more open. Most countries in
Latin America that were closed 30 years
ago are totally open today, and aviation,
tourism and foreign investment in
those countries is thriving thanks to the
increased air connectivity. But it was a
big challenge in the beginning.
Back in those days, infrastructure
was also a challenge. At first,
Panama had an underutilized airport
infrastructure in terms of gates,
runways, etc. But that changed as we
started growing, so we had to work
closely with our different governments
for the infrastructure to grow alongside
the airline. That involved a lot of
communicating, lobbying, explaining
the value of the hub to the economy,
etc. It's an effort that never ends,
but we've been lucky that every
Panamanian government has realized
that this was a good airline to fly
and Panama a place to connect. And
then our workforce, especially our
specialized workforce - pilots and
mechanics - had to develop and grow
alongside the airline's own growth.
We come from a very small country
with not much of an aviation industry,
besides Copa, so we don't produce
enough specialized professionals in
Panama. Over the years, we have
invested quite a bit in the training and
development of young Panamanian
pilots, mechanics, etc.
Jetrader: The " Panama Stopover "
program has been a significant
initiative in promoting tourism and
economic growth in Panama. How
has this program evolved since its
inception, and what impact has it had
on both the airline and the country?
PH: The program has been very
successful, relatively speaking. We
think it has a lot more potential, and
we plan to continue growing it. Panama
City, the Hub of the Americas, as we
have branded it, is the main connecting
point from South America to Central
America and the Caribbean. That means
We decided that it was our social responsibility
to create an affordable, world-class academy in Panama,
which we did, and that is the Latin American Aviation
Academy (ALAS).
the importance of aviation for Panama
and has invested accordingly. But it's a
ball that we can never drop.
We also had to convince
international passengers that Panama,
Copa and the Hub of the Americas was
a good place to connect. Our alliance,
as of 1998, with Continental Airlines
went a long way in strengthening our
product, our service, changing our
fleet and convincing more passengers
10 * THE OF F I C I AL PUBL I CAT I ON OF ISTAT
that millions of passengers transit
Panama annually. Working together
with Panama's DMO (destination
marketing organization), PROMTUR,
and with our Ministry of Tourism,
we came up with a solid stopover
program and also a joint marketing and
promotional effort. It's been growing
nicely. It started pre-pandemic. Once
we got back to full flying, we quickly
reached the pre-pandemic numbers.
This year, we expect to be close to
150,000 passengers, which is around
15% of the tourists Copa brings to
Panama. The total tourism numbers are
larger than that, but there are many
other airlines that also fly to Panama
and bring tourists here. We're the major
one but not the only one.
Jetrader: The Latin American Aviation
Academy (ALAS) plays a crucial role in
training the next generation of pilots.
What motivated Copa Airlines to invest
in upgrading its training fleet, and
how do you envision this contributing
to the future of aviation?
PH: We call it ALAS for short, which
means " wings " in Spanish. It's a notfor-profit
organization subsidized by
Copa. It's an interesting development
for us. With our fast growth, we
started creating a lot of pilot jobs,
which are great jobs, especially for
aviation enthusiasts. It's a well-paid,
great professional career. But we were
having a hard time finding qualified
pilots in Panama. I mentioned the size
of the country already and the lack
of a significant aviation industry but,
also, affordability is a factor. It is not
an inexpensive career, and some of
the local schools were not producing
commercial pilots. Most of the pilots
graduating from local flight schools
were not passing the Copa entry
requirements, and then very few could
afford to go outside, such as to the U.S.
We decided that it was our social
responsibility to create an affordable,
world-class academy in Panama,
which we did, and that is ALAS. The
students have to pass all the Copa
entry requirements before they start
spending money in the academy. Also,
together with our pilot union, we have
a scholarship program. There is also
an institution in Panama that gives
financial aid to students. So, a talented
student who has no financial means
can graduate from ALAS without
spending a dime. A percentage of their
training costs might be in the form of
a loan they will easily be able to pay
ISTAT Jetrader - Summer 2024

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