All Nippon Airways and Cathay Pacific Expressed Interests in Direct Flight Routes to Panama

2011-07-26

Asian airlines began showing interest in opening up direct flight routes to Panama. Among them, the Japanese corporation, All Nippon Airways, whose representatives expressed considerable interest in opening up direct flights to Panama’s capital, Tocumen International Airport; while the Hong Kong corporation, Cathay Pacific Airways has formally expressed its intention to open up regular direct flights between Asia and Panama, and has invited Panama officials to visit Hong Kong before the end of July for a formal discussion and evaluation of the feasibility of direct flights. According to All Nippon Airways’ study, there is the potential of four direct flights each week between Japan and Panama, of which about 20% - 30% of the passengers’ final destination is Panama. The Asian tourists arriving in Panama during the first five months of 2011 total 15,000, a growth of 17% compared to the same period last year.