Carrier Has Ordered 15 Airplanes This Year Alone

Copa Airlines said Monday it has placed an order for two Boeing 737-800 airplanes to be delivered in the second half of 2010. This new order brings to 15 airplanes the number of Boeing Next-Generation 737s that Copa Airlines has ordered this year.

In July, Copa placed an order for 13 airplanes to be delivered between 2012 and 2015. The order also included eight options for deliveries between 2015 and 2017. The new airplanes benefit from performance enhancements expected to result in a 2 percent reduction in fuel consumption by 2011 through a combination of airframe and engine improvements.

Boeing says the Next-Generation 737 is the newest and most technologically advanced airplane in its class, showing altitude, range, and speed improvements over previous models. In addition, its flight deck features LCD flat-panel displays and is designed to accommodate new communications and flight-management capabilities.

"The Next-Generation 737 plays a major role in achieving our goal of offering our passengers world-class service, the most extensive route network in Latin America and one of the youngest fleets in the continent," said Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines. "With these aircraft we will continue to consolidate and strengthen our leadership position in the Latin American airline industry, providing our passengers a truly attractive product and our company a highly efficient aircraft with superior economics."

Copa was the first carrier in the Americas to incorporate blended-winglets on its 737s. All of its Next-Generation 737s use the distinctive curved wing ends, which improve fuel efficiency and lift while reducing engine wear and carbon dioxide emissions. Copa also was the first in the region to order Next-Generation 737s with the Vertical Situation Display (VSD) system, which provides pilots with an easy to understand flight-path view.

FMI: www.copaair.com