Air Panamá Internacional
IATA ICAO Callsign
OP API ARPA[1]
Founded1967
Commenced operationsAugust 24, 1969
Ceased operationsDecember 2, 1990
HubsTocumen International Airport
Fleet size2
Destinations11
Parent companyIberia (33%; until the late 1970's)
HeadquartersPanama City, Panama

Air Panamá Internacional (also known as simply just Air Panama) was a state owned airline from Panama that served as the flag carrier of the country between 1968 and 1989. From its hub at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, scheduled passenger flights to a number of destinations in the Americas was offered.

History

Air Panamá Internacional was founded in 1967 as a joint venture between the government of Panama (67%) and Spanish airline Iberia (33%). When Iberia pulled out approximately ten years later, the airline became fully state-owned.[2]

During the 1980s, when Panama was ruled by military dictator Manuel Noriega, the route network and aircraft fleet of Air Panamá went into decline because of the worsened financial and economic situation of the company, which led to Copa Airlines emerging as the largest airline of the country. All flight operations with Air Panamá Internacional ceased in December 1989 over the United States invasion of Panama. The only aircraft of the airline at that time, a leased Boeing 727. In January 1990, Air Panamá Internacional declared bankruptcy and ceased operations on December 2, 1990.

On July 11, 1991, there was an attempt by the government of Panama to relaunch the airline in summer of 1992 as Panama Air International, however this attempt failed.[3] In 2005, Turismo Aéreo acquired the Air Panama branding and adopted its trademark rights.

Destinations

An Air Panamá Internacional McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15
An Air Panamá Internacional Boeing 727-100

During the 1970s and early 1980s, Air Panamá Internacional offered scheduled flights to the following destinations:[4]

Argentina
Colombia
Ecuador
Guatemala
Mexico
Panama
Peru
United States
Venezuela

Fleet

A Boeing 757-200 from Avensa with the "Panama Air" titles as part of the relaunch

Over the years, Air Panamá Internacional operated the following aircraft types:[2][5]

Air Panamá Internacional fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Boeing 727-100 6 1972 1990
Boeing 727-200 1 1986 1988 Leased from Alia Royal Jordanian Airlines
1 1989 1990 Leased from Faucett Perú, later disappeared while flying with Faucett
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 1 1969 1972 Leased from McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 1 1985 1985 Leased from Arrow Air
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 2 1984 1986 Leased from Jet Charter Service

In addition, two Boeing 757-200s were wet-leased from Venezuelan airline Avensa in 1992 as part of the relaunch as "Panama Air".

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Air Panama International Fleet - Airfleets aviation". Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Air Panama International (ATDB)". Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  3. ↑ Panama Air International at the Aero Transport Data Bank
  4. ↑ "Air Panama Internacional". Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "Air Panama fleet". aerobernie.bplaced.net. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
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