Tampa International Airport launched a new era today, making travel to Central America just a flight away.
Copa Airlines begins service Tuesday from Tampa with non-stop flights to Panama City, Panama. It marks the first direct flights to Latin America.
Behind all of the celebration of the airport's inaugural flight to Panama is a venture that could lead to even more business for the airport and the Bay area.
"It's a hub airport in Panama," Tampa Bay Business Journal editor Alexis Muellner said. "There's a lot of activity. The dollar currencies are common. There's been a long history between the United States, tourism industry and Panama, And so what you get is, opportunities for growth beyond the region."
The Copa flights will depart Tampa at 7:02 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, arriving at Copa’s Hub of the Americas in Panama at 10:12 a.m.
The return flight will depart Panama on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 6:34 p.m., arriving in Tampa at 9:53 p.m.
Copa’s Tampa-Panama flight offers optimal connections to several cities in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Guatemala, Peru and Brazil.
"When you have a direct flight like this, it certainly encourages people who ... (have) never been here, or who have family here, to reach out and potentially invest," Muellner said. "That leads to marketing efforts on the part of the airline, and also, tourism people here are using this opportunity to set up sales teams in Panama and to really promote this flight."
Officials at TIA had been working on a deal with Copa Airlines since 2011.
"This is a huge win for the Tampa Bay region, opening an easy connection for business and leisure travelers to all of Latin America," TIA CEO Joe Lopano said. "Our success in recruiting Copa is the result of tremendous cooperation with our community partners, who helped us make a compelling business case for this market to one of the world’s most successful airlines."