According to several industry representatives, the main challenge will be the growth of airport infrastructure, which eventually will become a constraint for the sector.
Ofelia Barcenas, solutions manager for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said the agency is working to streamline all processes related to passenger transit, such as migration and security. Some examples are the use of electronic tickets and collecting boarding passes using smartphones.
She added that despite these optimizations, growth in infrastructure is key. She acknowledged the existence of expansion projects, such as the South Terminal, currently under implementation and valued at $400 million, but noted that these are complex and will take years to complete.
A key role will be played by Copa Airlines, which operates its main hub from Tocumen Airport in Panama. The company has major plans for 2013, such as adding 17 aircraft, 11 destinations and 1,150 employees.
According to the airline spokesman, Carlos Alvarado, "the key to sustainability is that the infrastructure must accompany and be consistent with the growth of the industry."
Source: Capital.com.pa
More on this topic
January 2012
Copa Airlines passengers will have the option to connect to the island as a new destination from June.
From June 2012, Isla Colon, in the province of Bocas del Toro, Panama, will be part of the tourist destinations to which passengers can reach using the Panamanian airline Copa Airlines.
January 2009
Between January and September 2008 the number of passengers that traveled grew 15.1% compared to the same period in the previous year.
According to prensa.com, "the airline moved 2.07 million passengers via the Tocumen airport, 273 thousand more than the previous year.
The airport statics report by Tocumen S.A. for the third quarter provides data for passengers that travel to Panama on all the airlines.
April 2009
At the close of 2008, more than 4.5 million passengers passed through the main airport in Panama, 19.5% more than in 2007.
The increase in traffic is higher than the 6% average for Latin America, according to the report submitted by the International Airport Council.
One of the reasons is the growth in the number of connections and direct destinations being that nonstop flights from Tocumen were 42 at the end of 2007 and 54 at the end of 2008.
December 2008
The number of aircraft operating at the Tocumen airport between January and September 2008 increased to 53,678, or 20.6% more than in 2007.
The number of passengers that traveled via the airport between January and September 2008 was 3.34 million or 20.3% (564,000 more passengers) than during the same period last year, the Tocumen S.A. company said in its third quarter Airport Statistics Report.
español
