Copa Airlines: branching out with its new LCC Wingo to regain lost ground in Colombia

After years of fading into the backdrop of Colombia's aviation market, Copa Airlines is making a bold move to make itself more competitive in the market place. Copa is reigniting competition after the company's subsidiary Copa Colombia decided to cede domestic market share to other airlines a few years ago, in order to focus largely on international routes.

Copa's weapon of choice is the creation of a new low cost airline Wingo, operated as a unit of Copa Colombia with a targeted market debut in Dec-2016. Wingo is designed as a lower frills point-to-point airline, operating four Boeing 737s in a single-class 142-seat configuration. It is a shift in strategy for the Copa Group, which operates a full service model leveraging traffic flows over its hub at Panama City Tocumen international airport.

Wingo is also adding service to Panama City's Pacific international airport, (Panama City Pacifico), which results in Copa's business units then operating to the city's two airports. Copa's commitment to serve Panama's secondary airport reflects its new strategy to become more competitive in Colombia's aviation market, and create a defensive shield against further LCC encroachment in the future.