Copa Holdings, S.A. is a publicly traded Panamanian airline holding company based in Panama City that owns two airlines: Panama-based Copa Airlines and Colombia-based AeroRepública (operating as Copa Airlines Colombia and Wingo). The company is a major provider of passenger and cargo air services in Latin America, operating out of its base at Tocumen International Airport, which is located near the border between North and South America, which the company sees as a strategically important location.
History
In 1947, Panamanian investors joined forces with Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) to launch, soon known simply as Copa.[1] Initially, Copa served domestic routes in Panama with just three Douglas C-47 aircraft. The 1960s marked Copa's entry into the international arena, offering flights to Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Colombia. Pan Am divested its stake in Copa in 1971, leaving the airline under Panamanian control.[2]