Iberia Wants to Get to Panama with Airbus 304 Jetliners

Spanish airline Iberia is weighing the possibilities of starting flights to Panama with Airbus 304 aircraft beginning next October, said Gloria Clavel, the company’s general manager in that Central American country.

Mrs. Clavel made clear Iberia is getting set to advertise Panama as a travel destination in the European market in an effort to guarantee sellout flights to that nation.

Iberia’s execs haven’t made up their minds on flight frequency, nor on whether their planes will fly nonstop or make stopovers in Costa Rica, something that only passenger turnout will eventually tell.

“Iberia is currently holding talks with Panama’s Copa Airlines in order to ink a passenger distribution agreement,” Mrs. Clavel added.

Spain is Panama’s number-one European market with roughly 10,000 tourists in 2003 alone. According to Liriola Pitti, chief of the Panama Tourism Institute, there are other Spanish airlines –like Spanair and Air Madrid- willing to fly to the country.