PANAMA CITY,
July 23 /PRNewswire-Firstcall/ -- Copa Airlines, subsidiary
of Copa Holdings S.A. (NYSE: CPA), today informed it has obtained a final
commitment from the Export-Import Bank of
the United States (EX-IM Bank) for a
comprehensive guarantee to support the purchase and financing of two
Boeing
737-800 Aircraft to be delivered in 2009. In addition to these final
commitments, the Company has also secured preliminary commitments for ten
additional aircraft with deliveries between 2010 and 2012.
The loan guarantee commitments by EX-IM Bank, two final and ten
preliminary, will guarantee most of Copa Airlines' scheduled Boeing fleet
expansion through 2012. The Company now has final and preliminary commitments
for twelve out of twenty-five Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft it has on
order directly from Boeing, including all scheduled deliveries throughout
2011.
"We are very pleased with the support we have received from EX-IM Bank in
the financing of our Boeing fleet throughout the years. Especially in these
challenging times, these guarantees are of vital importance in securing and
maintaining competitive financing, which is of key importance in this
competitive industry," stated Victor Vial, Chief Financial Officer of Copa
Holdings.
About Copa Holdings, S.A.
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 daily flights to
Caracas, Venezuela from Cartagena and Medellin, Colombia. For more
information, visit www.copaair.com.
CPA-G