Loss-making airlines in the Caribbean should follow the example of Panama’s air carrier

Why is that airlines in the Caribbean, unlike those in Central America, seem incapable of providing consistent, well managed and profitable air services across the region?

This matter was brought into sharp focus with the release of the annual financial results for COPA, the Panamanian airline that is expanding its services across the Americas out of its easy transfer hub at Panama City’s Tocumen airport, and is developing a significant route network into the Caribbean.

According to financial analysts and those in the industry, the private sector owned airline is one of the most consistently profitable in the Western hemisphere. It is listed on the North American stock exchange, has a modern fleet of aircraft, is not