The strategic Hub of the Americas of Copa Airlines, in Panama City, will allow passengers coming from Istanbul fast and efficiently connect to 74 destinations in America and the Caribbean, including the most important cities of the region.
ISTANBUL – With this codeshare agreement, passengers from several destinations in Latin America and Europe will enjoy seamless connections through the carriers' ideally located hubs in Panama (Americas), and in Turkey, the bridge country that connects the East and the West.
Copa Airlines, subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A., and Turkish Airlines, both members of Star Alliance, the leading global airline network, signed a Codeshare Agreement which will offer passengers more flight options with seamless connections through Copa's Hub of the Americas, in Panama City, and Turkish's seamless gateway to Europe through the company's Hub, in Istanbul, Turkey.
The strategic Hub of the Americas of Copa Airlines, in Panama City, will allow passengers coming from Istanbul fast and efficiently connect to 74 destinations in America and the Caribbean, including the most important cities of the region. Also with this codeshare agreement, the Latin American passengers traveling with Turkish Airlines through its uniquely positioned hub, Istanbul, that bridges the East and the West, will have more entry options to Europe also Africa, Asia/ Far East and Middle East.
Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines said: "This agreement between Copa Airlines and Turkish Airlines has great importance since it contributes to strengthen the connectivity between Latin America with Istanbul and the rest of Europe. Passengers from both hemispheres will benefit from world-class services and seamless connections through the hubs of the codeshare partners."
Initially, Turkish will place its code on Copa flights between Panama City and David in Panama; Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Manaus, Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo in Brazil; Santo Domingo and Punta Cana in Dominican Republic; Guayaquil and Quito in Ecuador; San Salvador in El Salvador; Asuncion in Paraguay; Lima in Peru. On the other hand, Copa will place its code on Turkish operated flights between Panama and Istanbul. Progressively, as government approvals are granted, Turkish will also place its code on Copa flights to Cancun, Mexico City, and Guadalajara in Mexico; Managua in Nicaragua; San Jose in Costa Rica and Montevideo in Uruguay in order to expand the range of these codeshare flights into the region.
"We are delighted to begin codeshare cooperation with Copa Airlines, which will improve our partnership as Star Alliance partners and also provide unique travel opportunities to the passengers through the far-reaching flight networks of both airlines. Especially, with our flights to Panama City operated from our incomparably positioned hub, Istanbul, passengers would enjoy to travel all around the continent with Copa Airlines' flights from Panama City," said Bilal Eksi, Turkish Airlines Deputy Chairman & CEO.
This agreement, which complements and expands the route networks of both airlines as well as the connectivity between the continents, will also improve and promote bilateral opportunities for tourism and commercial developments between two countries.
Passengers of Copa and Turkish will enjoy the multiple benefits offered by Star Alliance, including reciprocity between the frequent flyer programs of both airlines and global recognition of the Star Alliance Gold and Silver status through the large route network that includes 1,300 airports in 190 countries.
Newly Announced Service by Turkish Airlines; The "Stopover"
Turkish Airlines now offers its "Stopover" service for its transfer passengers, departing from Pakistan to arrive to the U.S., Schengen Countries, U.K., Ireland, and having more than 20 hours connecting time.
Stopover offers those passengers a complimentary accommodation and a great opportunity to discover the unique beauties of Istanbul during their connecting time.
This new service – that set Pakistan as pilot region for the initial phase – will enable the transfer passengers that depart from Pakistan to arrive to the U.S., Schengen Countries, U.K., Ireland, and also have more than 20 hours connecting time, to stop over in Istanbul with an accommodation cheque prepared by Turkish Airlines' authorized staff after completing the flight booking process of the passenger. This cheque will enable the economy class passengers to stay 1 night at a 4-star hotel; and also the business class passengers to stay 2 nights at a 5-star hotel in Sultanahmet and Taksim, generally described as the central points of Istanbul.
Moreover, within the scope of this project, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Republic of Turkey has began to offer a complimentary 7-day transit visa to Pakistani passengers who will travel with Turkish Airlines from Pakistan to the U.S., Schengen Countries, U.K., and Ireland.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
