Panama’s Wingo secures AOC but silent about launch

Wingo (Panama) (Panamá City Tocumen Int’l) received its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from the Panamanian civil aviation authority (Autoridad Aeronáutica Civil de Panamá – AACP) on August 12, 2021, although it has yet to reveal any details about its launch plans.

The permit was officially granted to the low-cost carrier during a ceremony at Panamá City Tocumen Int’l airport.

Wingo is the LCC brand of Panama’s Copa Airlines (CM, Panamá City Tocumen Int’l). However, unlike its Panamanian sister, Wingo (Colombia) (P5, Bogotá) is a virtual carrier that uses the Copa Airlines Colombia (P5, Bogotá) AOC for its flight operations. Wingo Colombia employs six B737-800s, up from four units of the type before the pandemic. During a recent quarterly earnings call, Copa Holdings Chief Executive Pedro Heilbronn said Wingo was already operating above its 2019 capacity and that the certification of its Panamanian sibling would allow the LCC to expand its regional route network out of the Central American country.

Copa had planned to certify Wingo in Panama in 2019, only to defer those plans and instead launch fifth-freedom flights via Panama.