Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Friday welcomed a 160-seat, blue-winged Boeing 737 bearing the name of an airline unfamiliar to Triangle residents: Copa Airlines.
The airline's newest addition to RDU allows customers to fly directly to Panama City, the airport's first nonstop flight to Latin America. Friday's inaugural flight marks the airport's 10th international destination, doubling the number since 2019.
Copa Airlines serves 85 destinations in 32 countries across North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, 70 of which are currently accessible from Raleigh.
RDU is Copa Airlines' 16th destination in the U.S. But the Triangle wasn't always on the airline's radar.
Copa Airlines CEO Pedro Heilbron told The News & Observer that RDU officials first approached the company with the idea: They learned that 275 people fly between RDU and Latin America every day, and began looking for an airline that could offer nonstop service to those customers.
On Friday, that goal became a reality. Amid the traditional two-gun salute, the jet taxied to the terminal and officially landed at 2:22 p.m., about six minutes ahead of schedule. The pilot and co-pilot hoisted the Panamanian and American flags from the plane's cockpit, eliciting cheers and roars of admiration from the crowd of guests and RDU employees watching from the runway.
Crew members for Copa Airlines' inaugural flight from Panama City, Panama, to Raleigh-Durham International Airport wave Panamanian and American flags as they arrive at the gate to a water cannon salute on Friday, June 21, 2024.
“RDU serves approximately 2,200 travelers each day to and from destinations outside the U.S., with more than 200 of those traveling to Latin America,” RDU President and CEO Michael Landgus told the crowd gathered at the gates on Friday.
“We reached out to the local Latin American community and they overwhelmingly supported the new route during the hiring process,” he said.
Record growth
The new direct flight to Panama City is not the first international flight added this summer, and it won't be the last.
On the 6th of this month, Lufthansa arrived in the Triangle with its first nonstop flight between RDU and Frankfurt, Germany, and on July 1st, Aeromexico will begin daily service between RDU and Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport.
RDU estimates that adding service to Frankfurt will benefit North Carolina’s economy by $3.3 billion over the next 25 years.
Thanks in part to the expansion of international flights, RDU saw its highest passenger numbers ever last month. More than 1.4 million people used the airport in May, a new monthly record. Landguth expects traffic to grow as new international flights arrive at the airport.
RDU was the fastest-growing large airport in the U.S. with a growth rate of 22% through 2023. San Francisco International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport followed RDU with growth rates of about 18%.
Landguth said RDU has relocated domestic airlines Breeze Air and Sun Country Airlines from Terminal 2, the hub for all international flights, to Terminal 1 to accommodate increased traffic.
“We've also begun improving our gate management to ensure we're always maximizing the use of available gates throughout the day,” he said. “This is a combination of streamlining our operations and moving some staff to Terminal 1.”
Copa Airlines' inaugural flight from Panama City, Panama to Raleigh-Durham International Airport will arrive at the airport on Friday, June 21, 2024.
Connections with Latin America
David DeFossey, head of commercial sales for Copa Airlines in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, said the new service connects the Triangle and Latin America like never before.
“Today, we take a major step in expanding our presence in the United States by connecting the vibrant Raleigh-Durham region, known for its academic excellence, rich cultural scene and cutting-edge innovation, with our dynamic Copa Airlines hub in Panama City, Panama,” DeFossey said.
Frances Lewis kicked off the celebrations, which took place at Gate C17, with a performance. Wearing a colorful dress and headpiece from Colon province, she danced the Congo in front of the crowd of guests and tourists.
Lewis, a native of Panama who lives in Raleigh, said she has been dancing for more than 50 years.
Larissa McGrath also performed a dance at the event, following comments from Landgoose, DeFosse and RDU Board of Trustees Chairman Elise Hankins. She wore a gala pollera, a Panamanian national dress that originates in the central province of Panama. Both the performers' dresses and headpieces were entirely handmade.
“Whenever you see our folklore being presented abroad, you see this,” McGrath said.
Starting Friday, the service will operate once a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and DeFosse said Copa may increase its current schedule to daily service.
With a growing Latino community and several universities in the Triangle that accept international students, Copa could create opportunities for people to visit relatives and friends in Latin American countries, DeFosse said.
He added that all Copa flights, whether the flight is two hours or four hours long, will offer complimentary hot meals provided by Panama.
“Working with Copa is a source of pride for Panama and it's really reflected in our services,” he said.
At 4:20 p.m., Jose Andrade of Wilkesboro, his wife and three children left RDU on a nearly full Copa Airlines flight back to Panama City, where they were headed to Honduras, with plans to stay overnight.
Andrade, who was also on the first nonstop flight from Baltimore to Panama City, said direct flights from Raleigh are more convenient for Triangle residents.
“It's good to see more tourists travel to Panama instead of going from here to Miami, Houston, Atlanta or New York,” he said.
