The International Air Transport Association (IATA) inaugurated a new area office in Panama City, Panama. The office will be the focal point for IATA’s interactions with key aviation stakeholders in seven Central American countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. It will be supported by the full resources of IATA’s Americas Regional Office in Miami, USA.
An inauguration ceremony on the 21st of February included the mayor of Panama City, Jose Isabel Blandon; Copa Airlines CEO, Pedro Heilbron; international dignitaries and representatives from across the air transport and travel industry.
“Panama is a model of air transport excellence built on strong partnerships. As a result, Panama City has developed into one of the most important aviation hubs in Latin America. The connectivity that it generates supports the country’s strong GDP growth and spreads economic and social benefits across Central America. IATA is proud to support the successful expansion of Central America’s dynamic aviation sector from this great location,” said Peter Cerda, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas.
David Hernandez, IATA’s Area Manager for Central America, highlighted the service-oriented culture of the Central America Area Office: “IATA strives to be close to our members and Panama City has the most robust air connectivity in Central America. IATA’s global standards underpin the air transport sector and this has brought benefits to the region. For example, in Panama IATA recently worked with local stakeholders to streamline passenger flows through airport security checkpoints and audit the safety of ground operations. By establishing an area office in Panama City, we will provide even easier access to IATA’s expertise and unique global perspective across Central America,” said Hernandez.