It’ll Soon Be Easier to Visit Panama From the East Coast Thanks to This New Route

Copa Airlines is launching a new route to Panama from Raleigh-Durham in June.

Panamanian carrier Copa Airlines is making it easier to get to Central America with a new route from Raleigh-Durham, NC, to Panama City.

The new flight, which will take off for the first time on June 21, will operate four times each week, Copa Airlines shared with Travel + Leisure.

"We remain steadfast in our purpose to shorten distances and facilitate connections, allowing Panama to expand its role as the bridge that unites millions of people throughout the Americas while contributing to the economic development of the communities where we operate,” Dennis Cary, the sr. vice president and chief commercial officer at Copa Airlines, said in a statement shared with T+L. “The introduction of the new Raleigh-Durham route not only promotes cultural exchanges within the Americas but also encourages and deepens tourism and business ties… This new route also provides the opportunity for more American tourists to enjoy the wonders of Panama."

The new flight will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and will take off from Panama each day at 8:56 a.m. local time and arrive in Raleigh at 2:28 p.m. local time. The flight will then leave Raleigh on the same day at 4:20 p.m. and arrive back in Panama at 7:46 p.m.

Beyond North Carolina, Copa flies to more than a dozen other destinations in the United States, including to Atlanta, New York, Boston, and Chicago. With the new route, the airline will fly to a total of 85 different destinations in 32 countries throughout North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

The carrier, which is part of the Star Alliance, flies a fleet of Boeing aircraft, including the 737-800 NG and 737 MAX 9.

The flight to Panama is launching just in time for the busy summer season, but there’s never a bad time to visit the country. Panama, which sits just above the Equator, and boasts gorgeous white sand beaches, one of the largest coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean, and wild jungles.

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