Panama’s Copa Airlines to Face Reduced Boeing 737 MAX Deliveries

Copa Airlines (CM) based at Panamá City Tocumen International, is set to end the year with a fleet of 112 aircraft, following a reduction of three expected deliveries compared to earlier projections.

During the second quarter earnings call, Copa Holdings CFO José Montero revealed that Boeing has notified the airline of further delays in Boeing 737 MAX deliveries for 2024. “We anticipate receiving only two additional 737-8s by year-end, bringing our total fleet size to 112 aircraft,” Montero said. Looking ahead, Copa plans to incorporate 15 more 737-8s in 2025.

In response to the delays and earlier grounding of 737-9s—triggered by a mid-flight decompression incident involving an Alaska Airlines flight in January 2024—Copa Holdings has negotiated compensation with Boeing.

By the end of 2024, Copa Airlines’ fleet will consist of thirty-two 737-9s, three 737-8s (including the newly inducted unit), sixty-seven 737-800s, nine B737-700s, and one 737-800(BCF). For 2025, the airline plans to add fifteen 737 MAX 8s and retire two 737-700s, expanding the fleet to 125 aircraft.

CEO Pedro Heilbron noted that Copa’s growth aligns with network demands, and the airline remains flexible in its approach. “We can either park the 700s and repurpose the engines or continue their operation based on Boeing’s delivery schedule,” he explained.

Currently, Copa Airlines operates a fleet of 110 aircraft, with 21 more on order: twenty 737-8s and one 737-10. Its low-cost subsidiary, Wingo (Colombia), operates nine 737-800s.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com