Copa Airlines is adding extra capacity between Panama and Canada for the 2026-27 holiday season. The Panamanian carrier will raise its Boeing 737-800 frequencies from its Panama City hub to both Toronto Pearson and Montreal-Trudeau during the busiest weeks around Christmas and New Year, according to schedule data reported by AeroRoutes.
The added flights
Copa currently serves both Canadian cities with one daily flight, seven per week, from Panama City's Tocumen International Airport. For the holidays, the airline is stepping that up on both routes.
On Panama CityβToronto Pearson, Copa will increase service from seven to eleven weekly flights between 21 December 2026 and 9 January 2027. That is a continuous three-week block covering the outbound Christmas rush and the return wave after New Year.
On Panama CityβMontreal, frequency rises from seven to ten weekly flights in two separate windows: from 22 December to 31 December 2026, and again from 3 January to 7 January 2027. The short gap around New Year's Day reflects the typical holiday travel pattern, when departures peak before the holiday and returns peak in the first week of January.
All of the added flights are scheduled on the Boeing 737-800, a long-time workhorse of Copa's narrowbody fleet.
Why the holidays matter on this market
Routes between Canada and Panama carry a mix of passengers. Some are travelling to Panama itself, but many use Tocumen as a connecting point. Copa's network is built around Panama City, which the airline markets as the Hub of the Americas, allowing passengers from North America to connect to destinations across Central America, South America and the Caribbean through a single stop.
That model makes the Canada routes especially sensitive to seasonal peaks. Over Christmas and New Year, demand rises sharply from travellers visiting friends and relatives in Latin America, as well as from Canadians heading south for sun holidays during the coldest weeks of the year. Adding frequencies, rather than switching to larger aircraft, gives passengers more choice of departure days and more connection options at the Panama City hub.
Toronto and Montreal in Copa's network
Toronto and Montreal are Copa's gateways to Canada's two largest metropolitan areas. Toronto Pearson, Canada's busiest airport, gets the larger increase, with four extra weekly flights over a longer period. Montreal receives three extra weekly flights across two shorter windows, giving travellers from Quebec more departure options on the busiest dates.
The flights also feed Copa's Star Alliance partnerships, since Air Canada is a fellow member of the alliance. That gives travellers on both sides more ways to combine itineraries between Canada and Latin America.
What the schedule tells us
Seasonal frequency boosts like this one are a low-risk way for an airline to match capacity to demand. Rather than committing to a permanent schedule change, an airline can add flights only for the weeks when demand is strongest. The pattern, with the Toronto increase running longer than Montreal's, suggests Copa expects the strongest and most sustained holiday demand on the Toronto route.
Once the holiday windows end, both routes are scheduled to return to their normal pattern of seven weekly flights.
Key details at a glance
- Panama CityβToronto Pearson: 7 to 11 weekly flights, 21 December 2026 to 9 January 2027
- Panama CityβMontreal: 7 to 10 weekly flights, 22 to 31 December 2026 and 3 to 7 January 2027
- Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
- Hub: Panama City Tocumen International Airport
Travellers planning holiday trips between Canada and Latin America should check Copa's schedule for the added departures, which should make it easier to find seats on the busiest travel dates.
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