Q & A with Jorge David Chinchilla, General manager of Copa Airlines Honduras

Copa Airlines’ headway is up to par with the current advance of the Central American travel industry. The company has set up a hub in Panama’s Tocumen Airport to reach out to the Caribbean, North America, Mexico, South America and the rest of Central America. Another major hub for flights among Central American nations is in Honduras.

Q.- What destinations is Copa covering from Honduras?
A.- In Honduras, from San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, we fly to the rest of Central America. We span Tegucigalpa, Costa Rica’s San Jose and Panama City with a nonstop flight, and the Hub of the Americas in Panama’s Tocumen Airport hooks up the region with the Caribbean, North America, Mexico and South America. In Central America we’ve got a number of connections, depending on timetables, that are pretty convenient for passengers.

Q.- Is the company flying to Cuba on a regular basis?
A.- Copa flies three times a week to Cuba from Panama City.

Q.- Is that particular flight paying off?
A.- Oh, absolutely.

Q.- How are things going the Dominican Republic?
A.- They’re fine, I must say. This year we opened half a dozen new destinations there. Santiago de los Caballeros is the country’s second-largest city and we’ve been covering that major burg since July.

Q.- What policy is Copa following now that TACA has embarked on such an aggressive policy of its own? How do you share destinations and routes?
A.- Copa is more focused on corporate travel, businesspeople and some market niches. We’re committed to providing a world-class product and with that view in mind we’re beefing up employee training in all areas and divisions, from basic onboard services and ground maintenance to booking systems and customer care.

Q.- Is Copa toying with the possibility of opening up new routes and services for travelers interested in multi-destination offers?
A.- For the time being we’re weighing that possibility, though I must admit chances are we’ll be eventually giving a crack at it. We’re very much in sync with what’s going on in the Central American region in terms of tourism development, and Panama is no exception to the rule. There’s a genuine travel boom going on in that country, and in the case of real-estate operations, the country is going through the best of times. It’s simply amazing.

Q.- Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A.- Our crews have grabbed for a third year in a row the top prizes as the best of their kind all across Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. That’s something we feel very proud of.