PANAMA CITY,
Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Copa Holdings, S.A.
(NYSE: CPA), and its Copa Airlines and Aero Republica operating subsidiaries,
today released preliminary passenger traffic statistics for
October 2008:
October October Change
Copa Holdings (Consolidated) 2008 2007 (%)
ASM (mm) (1) 775.9 697.4 11.3%
RPM (mm) (2) 567.9 483.2 17.5%
Load Factor (3) 73.2% 69.3% 3.9 p.p.
Copa Airlines
ASM (mm) (1) 648.7 561.9 15.4%
RPM (mm) (2) 489.1 405.4 20.6%
Load Factor (3) 75.4% 72.2% 3.2 p.p.
Aero Republica
ASM (mm) (1) 127.1 135.4 -6.1%
RPM (mm) (2) 78.8 77.8 1.3%
Load Factor (3) 62.0% 57.4% 4.6 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 October 2008, Copa Holdings' system-wide passenger
traffic (RPM) increased 17.5%, while capacity (ASM) increased 11.3%. System
load factor for October 2008 was 73.2%, a 3.9 percentage point increase when
compared to October 2007.
Copa Airlines passenger traffic (RPM) for October 2008 increased 20.6%,
while capacity (ASM) increased 15.4%. This resulted in a load factor of 75.4%,
a 3.2 percentage point increase when compared to October 2007.
Aero Republica passenger traffic (RPM) for October 2008 increased 1.3%,
while capacity (ASM) decreased 6.1%. Load factor for the month was 62.0%, a
4.6 percentage point increase when compared to October 2007. Capacity
reduction came mainly as a result of Aero Republica's ongoing transition to
smaller gauge EMBRAER-190 aircraft.
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 136 daily scheduled
flights to 42 destinations in 22 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 and Medellin. Additionally, in May 2008, Aero Republica increased
international service by launching direct daily flights to Caracas, Venezuela
from the cities of Bogota and Medellin.
CPA-G