Aruba Welcomes COPA Airlines flights!

COPA Airlines started with 4 weekly flights to Aruba.

The tourism industry of Aruba warmly welcomed COPA Airlines a warm welcome with their inaugural flight connecting Aruba with South & Latin America.

After years of dedicated efforts spearheaded by the Aruba Tourism Authority and its tourism partners AHATA and AAA, Aruba became COPA Airlines’ newest Caribbean destination as of Monday December 15, 2008. COPA will launch 4 weekly flights (Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays) using an Embraer E190 with a seating capacity of 94 passengers of which 10 in business class and 84 in economy class. Flights will be between Panama City, Panama and Aruba connecting to over 40 destinations in the Americas.

Celebration ceremonies took place both in Panama and Aruba and were presided by Aruban Minister of Tourism & Transportation Edison Briesen.
Upon arrival at the Reina Beatrix International Airport in Aruba, the COPA Airlines plane received the traditional water canon salute. Inside the airport building the ribbon cutting took place by Captain Beltran in the presence of Minister Briesen and executives from the Aruba Tourism Authority, AHATA, AAA and COPA Airlines.

“The Government of Aruba is proud to celebrate this achievement today as it fits with the government’s vision to diversify the tourism markets for Aruba. We are determined to make these flights a success and hopefully these flights will become daily flights very soon”, stated Minister of Tourism & Transportation Edison Briesen.

Eighteen touroperators and seventeen members of the press of the different Central and South American countries were invited as guests on the inaugural flight, with the objective to experience Aruba as a tourist destination.

Aruba Minister of Tourism & Transportation, Edison Briesen presented a painting by a local artist to Mr. Adolfo Sen, Regional Commercial Director of COPA Airlines as a memento of this great event.