Wingo Obtains Air Operator Certificate in Panama, Launches Low-Cost Domestic Route, and Explores New Markets

Wingo created a subsidiary in Panama and obtained the air operator certificate from the civil aeronautical authority of that Central American country, and in just two days from now, Wingo Panama will launch its first domestic route, which will also be the first under the low-cost format in that market.

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The inaugural flight of Wingo Panama is scheduled for August 11 between Panama City (BLB) and David, which will have two weekly frequencies, on Fridays and Sundays.

“We are very excited to continue in our growth process and to bring the Wingo service and model, proven with full success in Colombia, to other latitudes of Latin America. With the emergence of Wingo Panama, we already have two airlines operating under the Wingo brand; airlines that, in turn, belong to Copa Holdings, one of the most solid aeronautical groups in the Americas”, said Eduardo Lombana, CEO of Wingo.

See also: Wingo resumed operating the Bogotá-Caracas route and plans more flights between Colombia and Venezuela

The low-cost airline has its Panamanian base at Panama Pacifico Airport (BLB), where it already operates, with its Colombian certificate, from Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cali, Cartagena, Havana, Medellín, Santo Domingo, and San José de Costa Rica.

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Operating with its Panamanian certificate may open new options by taking advantage of the bilateral agreements of that country. However, in this regard, the airline also said that they will evaluate «the possibility of advancing in obtaining new operating certificates in other Caribbean and Andean region countries«, without adding details about specific countries or dates.

“We will continue to demonstrate that the low-cost model is sustainable when managed correctly, with appropriate growth schemes under market needs. The launch of our airline in Panama is a new step in the right direction”, continued Lombana, drawing a line with recent failed cases like those of Viva and Ultra Air.

See also: Wingo begins flights between Aruba and Cali

Wingo’s expansion to other latitudes with the low-cost format will allow Copa Holdings to face the competition posed by Arajet in Santo Domingo without compromising its brand positioning. Although clearly, Wingo and Copa Airlines still have years of advantage.

The total network of Wingo covers flights to Cancún, Havana, San Andrés, Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, San José de Costa Rica, Panama-Pacifico, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Aruba, Curaçao, Caracas, Bucaramanga, Medellín, Bogotá, Pereira, Cali, Armenia, Quito, Guayaquil, and Lima.

Wingo highlighted that with Panama – David, there are already six new routes that were inaugurated in 2023, representing a growth of 17%.