SBA Airlines lands in Panama

PANAMA. Panama tourism will get a boost in traffic and Venezuelans wishing to travel to and from the isthmus will find the journey easier, with the recent announcement of a Panama-Caracas-Panama flight to be added to the routes of Venezuelan carrier SBA airlines.

Executive president Jorge Alvarez Mendez announced that in line with the company’s expansion projects, the route Panama-Caracas-Panama will be added starting July 1.

“This step is part of a three-phase plan first, strengthening SBA Airlines’ operations in the United States, second, launching flights to and from the European continent, and then, offering routes to Panama,” said Alvarez Mendez.

SBA Airlines, which began operations in 1998, is the first foreign air airline to enter the local market with a significant investment (although the company refrained from providing figures).

The executive president said that the company would soon announce a date for their future expansion into the Bogota, Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires markets.

SBA has not yet announced its schedule for its Panama-Caracas-Panama flights, but, but Alvarez Mendez said the company aims to provide an “excellent service” for the high demand of passengers travelling to Panama.

The Venezuelan airline, which opened its Panama office’s yesterday offers passengers free check-in of two bags of up to 32 kilos.

In 1998, SBA Airlines started operating as a regional airline. In 1 999, the company’s vision expanded internationally, incorpo rating routes to Curacao, Barranquilla, Tenerife, Madrid, Santiago de Compostela, Lima, Quito, Guayaquil, and Miami.

In 2005, the co mpany envision ed consolidating itself as a continental airline, investing in high-end technology. “This way we confirm our commitment to our customers,” said Alvarez Mendez.

A source in the tourism sector said that this addition al route is expected to increase visitors influx into the country.