AUSTIN, Texas – Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and Copa Airlines, a subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A. {NYSE: CPA}, and a member of the global Star Alliance airline network, marked a milestone today as it launched nonstop service from AUS to Panama City, Panama. For the first time in history, the new route will connect the state of Texas to Copa Airlines’ extensive network of 32 countries through the Hub of the Americas® located in Panama City.

The inaugural flight received a warm welcome as it touched down at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, greeted by a ceremonial water cannon salute. The event was celebrated with a series of memorable activities, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony, specially crafted cookies, and performances by talented Panamanian dancers. Distinguished executives from both Copa Airlines and AUS Airport, along with government officials, delivered speeches emphasizing the importance of this special occasion.

“We’re excited to welcome Copa Airlines to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport,” said Ghizlane Badawi, Chief Experience and Performance Officer of AUS. “While our Central Texans will enjoy the colorful capital city of Panama and easy connections to points beyond, we’re equally excited to welcome Central and South American guests to our lively Austin! I want to thank Copa and our partners for the hard work getting us to this point, and I look forward to the new tourism and economic development opportunities as a result of our partnership.”

This is the first nonstop flight to the capital city of Panama from AUS. Austinites and Central Texans can now conveniently travel to a city known for its historical heritage, plazas, music and cuisine, or continue on their trip to one of the many popular destinations in Latin America including the Andes mountains, ancient ruins of Machu Picchu to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“We continue to expand our presence in the United States and with the launch of the new route in Austin, Copa Airlines strengthens the connectivity of the continent through the Hub of the Americas® located in Panama,” said Marco Ocando, Sr. Marketing Director, Corporate Communications and Loyalty Programs at Copa Airlines. “This inaugural flight solidifies our commitment to bridging distances, connecting families and strengthening commercial exchanges between these two regions.”

The new Copa Airlines flights to and from Austin offer four (4) weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The flights depart Panama at 9:18 a.m. (local time) and arrive at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) at 2:04 p.m. (local time). The return flight will operate on the same days, departing Austin at 3:34 p.m. (local time) and arriving back in Panama at 8:16 p.m. (local time).

The city of Austin becomes the 15th U.S. destination for Copa Airlines joining other cities in the country including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, Tampa, San Francisco, and Washington.

Austinites and Central Texans can now benefit from Copa Airlines’ world-class, award-winning service, and the most on-time Airline in Latin America according to the OAG Punctuality League. For travelers interested in booking their trip to Panama from AUS, make reservations by visiting copa.com, a sales office, or by calling customer service.