Copa Holdings Announces 6.6% Traffic Growth for August 2009

PANAMA CITY, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Copa Holdings, S.A. (NYSE: CPA), and its Copa Airlines and Aero Republica operating subsidiaries, today released preliminary passenger traffic statistics for August 2009:

                                      August      August      Change
    Copa Holdings  (Consolidated)      2009        2008        (%)

    ASM (mm) (1)                       869.0      790.6        9.9%
    RPM (mm) (2)                       659.7      618.8        6.6%
    Load Factor (3)                    75.9%      78.3%   -2.3 p.p.

    Copa Airlines Segment
    ASM (mm) (1)                       730.4      657.1       11.1%
    RPM (mm) (2)                       556.0      528.7        5.2%
    Load Factor (3)                    76.1%      80.5%   -4.3 p.p.

    Aero Republica Segment
    ASM (mm) (1)                       138.6      133.5        3.8%
    RPM (mm) (2)                       103.7       90.1       15.0%
    Load Factor (3)                    74.8%      67.5%    7.3 p.p.

1. Available seat miles - represents the aircraft seating capacity multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown.

2. Revenue passenger miles - represents the numbers of miles flown by revenue passengers

3. Load factor - represents the percentage of aircraft seating capacity that is actually utilized

For the month of August 2009, Copa Holdings' system-wide passenger traffic (RPM) increased 6.6% while capacity (ASM) increased 9.9%. System load factor for August 2009 was 75.9%, a 2.3 percentage point decrease when compared to August 2008.

Copa Airlines passenger traffic (RPM) for August 2009 increased 5.2%, while capacity (ASM) increased 11.1%. This resulted in a load factor of 76.1%, a 4.3 percentage point decrease when compared to August 2008.

Aero Republica passenger traffic (RPM) for August 2009 increased 15.0%, while capacity (ASM) increased 3.8%. Load factor for the month was 74.8%, a 7.3 percentage point increase when compared to August 2008.

Copa Holdings, through its Copa Airlines and Aero Republica operating subsidiaries, is a leading Latin American provider of passenger and cargo service. Copa Airlines currently offers approximately 144 daily scheduled flights to 45 destinations in 24 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. In addition, Copa Airlines provides passengers with access to flights to more than 120 other international destinations through code share agreements with Continental Airlines and other airlines. Aero Republica, the second-largest domestic carrier in Colombia, provides service to 12 cities in Colombia as well as international connectivity with Copa Airlines' Hub of the Americas through flights from Bogota, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Medellin and Pereira. Additionally, Aero Republica has direct flights to Caracas, Venezuela from Cartagena and Medellin, Colombia.

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