About Copa Airlines Copa Airlines was founded in 1947 as Compañía Panameña de Aviación, the national airline of Panama. In 1980, the airline withdrew from the domestic market to focus on its international reach and is today a leading Latin American provider of passenger and cargo services.

The "old name" of Copa Airlines is actually its original full name, Compañía Panameña de Aviación. It was founded in 1947 with significant assistance from Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), which held a minority stake in the airline during its early years. In its infancy, the airline operated only domestic flights within Panama using a small fleet of Douglas DC-3 aircraft. It wasn't until the 1960s and 70s that it expanded into international routes to destinations like Costa Rica and Jamaica. While the airline has always used the "Copa" acronym, it underwent a massive transformation in the late 1990s and early 2000s when it formed a strategic alliance with Continental Airlines (which later merged with United). This partnership helped Copa modernize its fleet and adopt the "Hub of the Americas" model in Panama City. Today, while it is globally recognized simply as Copa Airlines, its formal corporate identity remains Compañía Panameña de Aviación, S.A., a nod to its nearly 80-year history as Panama's national flag carrier.