Copa Airlines, Panama’s flagship carrier, announced it will launch the first-ever direct flight between Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, and Central America via its hub in Panama City, a move expected to vastly increase visitor access to the peninsula resort mecca by non-U.S. and non-Mexican tourists.
The flights will begin Dec. 4, 2025 with three frequencies, on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. They will depart from Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama at 9:09 a.m. local time and arrive at Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), operated with a Boeing 737-800. The return flights leave SJD at 1:33 p.m., and arrive at PTY at 8:30 p.m. local time.
Volaremos a 1️⃣ nuevo destino y reiniciamos operaciones en 2️⃣ rutas ✈️
🆕 Los Cabos, México – A partir del 4 de diciembre de 2025 (lun, jue, sáb) 🇲🇽
🔁 Santiago de los Caballeros, República Dominicana – A partir del 15 de enero de 2026 (lun, jue, sáb) 🇩🇴
🔁 Salvador, Brasil – A… pic.twitter.com/39y7GtNCaS
— Copa Airlines (@CopaAirlines) July 3, 2025
Though the new route is to Panama City only, PTY is a global hub — what Copa Airlines calls the “Hub of the Americas” — and therefore facilitates connections to more than 20 destinations in Central and South America, boosting tourism. That’s because the new connection with Los Cabos eliminates the need for stopovers in Mexico City or the United States, allowing for a more efficient and direct experience for Latin American travelers.
Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines, noted that the news operation is part of the airline’s network expansion, strengthening continental connectivity. “We continue to consolidate the Hub of the Americas as Latin America’s main connection center, driving new opportunities for economic development in the markets where we operate,” Heilbron said.
Copa Airlines also announced it will revive routes to Brazil and the Dominican Republic next year.
The northwestern resort city will be the carrier’s fifth destination in Mexico (the others are Monterrey, Mexico City, Guadalajara and Cancún). The new route is estimated to bring an annual flow to Los Cabos of more than 25,000 tourists from Central and South America.
Rodrigo Esponda, General Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Trust, noted that this air route is the result of efforts between Los Cabos and Copa Airlines officials
“This achievement is the result of more than nine years of constant work and collaboration with Copa Airlines,” he said. “For the first time, we are directly opening our doors to the Latin American market, which will be key to continuing to increase tourist arrivals from the region.”
Meanwhile, the Baja California Sur Ministry of Tourism (Setue) said the route seeks to diversify tourism markets and strengthen local economic development. Setue added that the sustained growth in visitors from Central and South America since 2020 positions Los Cabos as an emerging destination in the region.
With reports from Reporte Lobby and Pasillo Turístico
