Copa Airlines, subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A. {NYSE: CPA} today became the first airline in Latin America to take delivery of a Boeing Next-Generation 737 airplane with the new Boeing Sky Interior.  The new, cutting-edge interior, which enhances the passenger experience from boarding to landing, once again puts Copa at the forefront of Latin American aviation.

"We are proud to bring this state-of-the art technology and unmatched passenger experience to our valued customers," said Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines.  "This new interior represents yet another example of our progressive leadership in the Americas and will enhance the world-class service for which Copa Airlines is known."

Copa's new 737-800 with the Boeing Sky Interior is the first of 10 new 737-800s the airline will receive in 2011.  Copa Airlines is only the eighth airline in the world to take delivery of the 737 Boeing Sky Interior.

Inspired by passenger research, the Boeing Sky Interior cabin design redefines the 737 travel experience from start to finish.  Features include:

Increased baggage storage: Larger stowage bins allow passengers to store their luggage closer to their seats.  The bins pivot up out of the way and their shape adds to the open feel of the cabin. With more bags stowed above, there is more leg room below.

Enhanced passenger service units: Service units feature a different look and more separation between the reading light switch and attendant call button, to reduce passenger confusion.  The units also have an integrated speaker with improved sound quality and LED reading lights, which will reduce maintenance costs.

Modern décor:  New, modern, sculpted sidewalls and window reveals direct the passengers' eyes to the view outside the window, adding to the passenger's thrilling sense of flying.

Modernized atteendant controls: A modernized, touch-screen attendant panel increases functionality by accommodating all existing cabin controls and adding controls for the new cabin lighting.

In addition, this airplane will include Copa's new digital in-flight entertainment system. The new system includes wide overhead screens with better image resolution to enhance the onboard entertainment experience. A modern, touch-screen crew panel increases functionality by automating the entertainment programming displayed on screens throughout the cabin.

The 737 Boeing Sky Interior is the latest in a series of enhancements designed to improve the Next-Generation 737. The next to come, between mid-2011 and early 2012, will be a package of performance improvements that will reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by 2 percent - making the airplane a full 7 percent more efficient than the first Next-Generation 737s delivered.

Copa Airlines also was the first airline in the Americas with blended winglets (wing-tip extensions) and the first airline in the Americas to utilize Boeing's Vertical Situation Display flight deck technology.  By the end of 2011, Copa Holdings will have a fleet of 73 aircraft, making it one of the youngest in the Americas.

The airline's Hub of the Americas at Panama's Tocumen International Airport offers more international flights to destinations within Latin America than any other hub on the continent.

Source: Copa Airlines

Copa Airlines, subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A. {NYSE: CPA}, on June 18 will begin nonstop service four times a week between Panama City, Panama, and Brasilia, the capital of Brazil.  Brasilia will be Copa Airlines' sixth Brazilian destination and its 56th destination overall. "Copa Airlines' new nonstop Brasilia service demonstrates our commitment to establishing more routes to this important Latin American country and to continue uniting the Americas," said Pedro Heilbron, CEO, Copa Airlines.  "Our Hub of the Americas at Tocumen International Airport in Panama offers the best connectivity for flights to Central America and the Caribbean, as well as to our destinations in North and South America."

The flight will operate four times a week, departing Panama at 6:32 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and arriving in Brasilia at 2:40 a.m.  The return flight will depart Brasilia at 5:41 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Panama at 9:48 a.m. Copa Airlines offers more flights to international destinations than any other airline from any other hub in Latin America. At the Hub of the Americas in Panama, passengers can connect rapidly and conveniently to destinations throughout Latin America, North America and the Caribbean, without customs/immigration waits for in-transit passengers. A planned city inaugurated in 1960, Brasilia has a population of 2.2 million and the highest per capita income in the country.  In addition to being the seat of government, the city offers numerous cultural attractions, including many museums, theaters, art galleries and parks, and festivals throughout the year, such as the Film Festival, Fashion Week, and Summer Music Festival.  The city boasts 41 sports clubs, 14 shopping malls and more than 3,000 restaurants and bars.  Visitors also can enjoy recreational activities at nearby Lake Paranoá. Copa Airlines, which has one of the youngest fleets in Latin America, will operate a Boeing 737-700 Next Generation aircraft on the flight.   Source: Copa Airlines