Panama Increases International Connections: The Arrival of New Airlines and the Rise of Air Tourism

New Airlines Set to Boost Tourism in Panama

The arrival of new airlines is a key objective of the National Fund for Tourism Promotion (Promtur) in Panama, as part of an ongoing effort to enhance the nation’s connectivity and attract more international visitors. Currently, Panama offers 85 destinations serviced from its primary hub, the Tocumen International Airport. The majority of these flights are concentrated in South America, the Caribbean, and the United States, with some connections extending to Europe, including cities like Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam, and Turkey.

Current Airline Operations

As of the end of November 2024, Panama is serviced by 12 commercial airlines and 17 cargo airlines, collectively operating an average of 430 flights daily, both arriving and departing from the capital. This robust flight activity underscores Panama’s position as a pivotal air traffic hub in the region.

Condor Airlines Resumes Services

In a significant development, the German airline Condor has recently announced its return to Panama, set to begin operations with two direct flights per week starting June 11, 2025. This marks the first instance of the airline flying directly from Frankfurt to Panama since the suspension of services nearly two years ago. Previously, Condor offered charter flights with layovers in the Dominican Republic and Panama from 2010 to 2016, but did not operate regular services during that timeframe.

The cancellation of direct flights between Germany and Panama has been attributed to the operational pauses taken by major carriers, including Eurowings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, which ceased flights on May 9, 2023, due to the pandemic. Lufthansa itself has not yet resumed operations since the pandemic disrupted travel plans worldwide.

Future Connectivity Plans

Moisés Véliz, the Director of Travel Commerce and Strategic Alliances at Promtur, shared in a recent interview with La Prensa that ongoing discussions are taking place with additional airlines from Europe, England, and Asia to establish new air routes to Panama. Promtur is currently working on an incentive program, which would see the organization covering 50% of advertising costs alongside the airlines. Véliz emphasized the primary goal of these initiatives: ‘The main objective is to attract more tourists to Panama. Air travel is the most significant driver of international tourism,’ he stated.

Data from the Panama Tourism Authority indicates that by the end of October 2024, approximately 77% of visitors arriving in the country did so via air travel, totaling over 1.6 million travelers.

Targeting Key Airlines

Among the airlines that Promtur aims to engage is Lufthansa, with hopes to encourage the resumption of its operations. Furthermore, Promtur looks to increase flight frequencies with Spanish carriers such as Iberia and attract British Airways. There are also plans underway to form partnerships with Asian airlines through bilateral agreements to enhance connectivity.

Véliz elaborated on the cooperative marketing efforts being made with airlines including Air France, KLM, Iberia, Air Europa, and Condor. These efforts focus on sharing advertising costs to promote Panama as a premier destination.

Increased Capacity from Europe

The reintroduction of Condor’s flights is expected to significantly increase seat availability between Europe and Panama, providing an additional 1,240 seats weekly, which translates to a total of 64,500 seats annually.

Statistics from the Panama Tourism Authority indicate that from January to October 2024, 234,215 travelers from various European countries visited Panama via the Tocumen Airport. With the addition of carriers already flying to Panama, including Iberia, Air Europa, KLM, Air France, and Turkish Airlines, the overall seat availability for 2025 is projected to rise to 445,599.

Strengthening American Tourism

Véliz also noted that efforts to promote tourism in the Americas would be supported by initiatives such as Copa Airlines’ StopOver program, which saw over 160,000 passengers in 2024, with expectations to exceed 200,000 in the current year. Additionally, airlines like United are reportedly increasing their routes and flight frequencies to Panama.

Conclusion

As Panama continues to enhance its air connectivity and broaden its appeal as a travel destination, the efforts by Promtur and the forthcoming resumption of key airline services appear poised to invigorate the tourism sector. The combination of strategies targeting new airline partnerships and promotional campaigns is set to ensure that Panama remains a competitive and attractive option for international travelers.