Copa Airlines (CM, Panamá City Tocumen International) is interested in the proposed new Middle-of-the-Market (MoM) twinjet under early development by Boeing, CEO Pedro Heilbron has told FlightGlobal.
"The existing widebodies make no sense. But the MoM might make sense for Copa if it gives us more capacity and range in what we hope will be a much less expensive and easier to operate aircraft compared to the B787 or A330," Helibron has said.
He has added that once the programme is formally launched, Copa will engage in serious negotiations with the manufacturer.
"If Boeing can come up with a light widebody that is as cost competitive as the MAX, similar in turnaround time, that will be of interest to us," he has said.
Boeing has floated the idea of a new small widebody aircraft during the 2017 Paris Air Show but did not go into details. The project has not been formally launched nor approved by the manufacturer's board yet.
Copa currently exclusively operates narrowbody and regional aircraft. According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the Panamanian carrier operates ten B737-700s, sixty-seven B737-800s, fifteen E190ARs, and five EMB-190LRs. It has a further one B737-800, fifteen B737-10, and forty-six MAX aircraft of unspecified variant on order with Boeing.
