Air Panama
Encyclopedia
Air Panama is an airline
based in Panama City
, Panama
, which offers scheduled and chartered passenger flights out of its hub
at Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport, mostly on domestic routes with a low passenger volume. Air Panama is currently the second largest airline in the country, being surpassed only by Copa Airlines
.
in 1990, and adopted the new name in 2006. Over the years, the company has grown to account for more than half of the domestic commercial air travel in Panama, offering more destinations than any other regional carrier in the country.
Costa Rica
Panama
Further destinations are served on a chartered on-demand basis.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Panama City
Panama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, which offers scheduled and chartered passenger flights out of its hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
at Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport, mostly on domestic routes with a low passenger volume. Air Panama is currently the second largest airline in the country, being surpassed only by Copa Airlines
Copa Airlines
Compañía Panameña de Aviación, S.A., operating as Copa Airlines ', is an airline based in Panama City, Panama, and serves as Panama's flag carrier...
.
History
The airline was founded in 1980 as PARSA, though certain services were operated as Turismo Aéreo. In 2005 the Air Panama branding rights were acquired, which had been unused since the demise of Air Panamá InternacionalAir Panamá Internacional
Air Panamá Internacional, also known as Air Panama International or just Air Panama, was a state owned airline from Panama that served as the flag carrier of the country between 1968 and 1989...
in 1990, and adopted the new name in 2006. Over the years, the company has grown to account for more than half of the domestic commercial air travel in Panama, offering more destinations than any other regional carrier in the country.
Destinations
Air Panama offers scheduled flights to the following destinations:Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
- San JoséSan José, Costa RicaSan José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
- Juan Santamaría International AirportJuan Santamaría International AirportJuan Santamaría International Airport is located in Alajuela Province, about from downtown San José, Costa Rica. It is a hub airport for TACA/Lacsa, and focus city airport for Copa Airlines. It is named after Costa Rica's national hero Juan Santamaría, a courageous drummer boy who died in 1856...
Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
- Bocas del Toro - Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport
- Cartí SugtupuCartí Sugtupu- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
- Cartí Airport - ChanguinolaChanguinola-Transportation:Changuinola is accessible by air, land, or sea. Visitors can fly into Captain Manuel Nino International Airport from Panama City and Bocas del Toro. Direct flights from the United States, Canada, and Mexico are not available. Airlines may include , Aeroplas, Air Panama, and Nature Air...
- Changuinola "Capitán Manuel Niño" International AirportChanguinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International AirportChanguinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International Airport is an airport serving Changuinola, the capital city of the Changuinola District in the Bocas del Toro Province in Panama.-Facilities:... - ChitréChitréChitré is the capital of the Panamanian province Herrera. Chitré is located about 7 km inland from the Gulf of Panama on the Azuero Peninsula The name Chitre comes from the native tribe Chitra . In the city, there is a district, also called Chitré, which is subdivided into five corregimientos...
- Chitré "Alonso Valderrama" Airport - Contadora Island - Contadora Airport
- Corazon de Jesus- Corazon de Jesus Airport
- DavidDavid, PanamaDavid is a city located in the west of Panama. It is the capital of the province of Chiriquí and has an estimated population of 144,858 inhabitants as confirmed in 2010. It is a relatively affluent city with most families and houses having basic living requirements, such as concrete houses, clean...
- Enrique Malek International AirportEnrique Malek International Airport-Accidents and incidents:On July 13, 1943, there was an accident at this airfield that claimed the life of 12 airmen when their B-17 Flying Fortress stalled during approach and crashed in the runway....
(focus city) - El Porvenir - El Porvenir Airport
- El RealEl RealEl Real is a town in Panama. It is located near Yaviza....
- El Real Airport - GarachinéGarachinéGarachiné is a town in the Darién province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
- Garachiné Airport - Isla del Rey (Panama) - San Miguel Isla del Rey Airport
- Isla San JoséIsla San José (Panama)Isla San José is the second largest island in the Panama area, and has an area of over 14,000 acres.-References:...
- Isla San José Airport - JaquéJaquéJaqué is a town in the Darién province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
- Jaqué Airport - La Palma - Captain Ramon Xatruch Airport
- MulatupoMulatupoMulatupo is a town in the Kuna Yala province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
- Mulatupo Airport - Panama CityPanama CityPanama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
- Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport (hub) - PedasíPedasí township, Los SantosPedasí is a town situated on the south-eastern tip of the Azuero Peninsula on Panama’s Pacific coast. It is located in the Pedasí District, in the Los Santos province. It is principally a fishing village with a population of about 2000 people....
- Pedasí Airfield - Piña, Darién - Piña "Bahía Piña - Darién" Airport
- Playón ChicoUkupseniUkupseni, also called Playón Chico, is one of the most populous islands in the Kuna Yala territory of Panama, 200 yards from the mainland...
- Playón Chico Airport - Rio SidraRio SidraRio Sidra is a town in Kuna Yala territory, Panama....
- Rio Sidra Airport - TubualáTubualáTubualá is a town in the Kuna Yala province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
- Tubualá Airport - TupileTupile (town)Tupile is a town in Panama....
- Tupile Airport - UstupoUstupoUstupo is a town in the Kuna Yala province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
- Ustupo Airport
Further destinations are served on a chartered on-demand basis.
Fleet
As of June 2011, the Air Panama fleet consists of the following aircraft:| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | Y | Total | ||||||
| Britten-Norman Islander Britten-Norman Islander The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft, regional airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. The Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in... |
1 | - | ||||||
| Cessna 182 Cessna 182 The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats, installed in the baggage area.... |
1 | - | ||||||
| Cessna Grand Caravan | 1 | - | ||||||
| de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC... |
2 | - | ||||||
| Fokker 50 | 1 | - | Delivered on September 19, 2011, Bought from SAS | |||||
| Fokker 70 | 2 | - | ||||||
| Piper PA-34 Seneca Piper PA-34 Seneca The Piper PA-34 Seneca is an American twin-engined light aircraft, produced by Piper Aircraft since 1971 and still in production in 2011.The Seneca is primarily used for personal and business flying.-Development:... |
2 | - | ||||||
| Saab 340B Saab 340 The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio... |
2 | - | ||||||
| Air Panama Cargo Fleet | ||||||||
| Fokker F27 Friendship | 4 | — | ||||||
| CASA C-212 Aviocar | 1 | — | ||||||
| Total | 17 | - | ||||||
Accidents and incidents
- On 31 December 1997 at 07:45 local time, a PARSA Britten-Norman IslanderBritten-Norman IslanderThe Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft, regional airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. The Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in...
(registeredAircraft registrationAn aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
HP-986PS) crashed into a jungle area 6.5 kilometres short of Rio Sidra Airport following a flight from Panama CityPanama CityPanama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
in bad weather conditions. The nine passengers and the pilot on board lost their lives. - On 29 December 2002 at 16:06 local time, ATCAir traffic controlAir traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
contact with a PARSA Britten-Norman Islander (registered HP-1016PS) was lost during an empty ferry flight from Bocas del Toro to Panama City, when the aircraft was over the Caribbean SeaCaribbean SeaThe Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. The aircraft and its pilot could never found. - On 1 June 2006 at 07:55 local time, Air Panama Flight 680, which was operated using a British Aerospace JetstreamBritish Aerospace JetstreamThe British Aerospace Jetstream is a small twin-turboprop airliner, with a pressurised fuselage, developed as the Jetstream 31 from the earlier Handley Page Jetstream-Development:...
(registered HP-1477PS), overshot the runway upon landing at Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport after heavy rain completing a flight from Panama City. The aircraft was substantially damaged, but all 16 passengers and two crew members walked out from the wreckage. - On 31 October 2007 at 20:40 UTC, an Air Panama Fokker F27 Friendship (registered HP-1541PST) was damaged beyond repair when it did not gain sufficient height upon take-off from Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport and crashed back on the runway. The aircraft had planned to leave for a scheduled passenger flight to Bocas del Toro and was carrying nine passengers and four crew members, none of which was injured.