Suriname added to Copa Airlines’ list of destinations
Suriname on Saturday was added to the long list of destinations of Copa Airlines. Bernardo Ordas, regional sales manager at Copa Airlines, pointed out that “Suriname is the only new destination that was added in 2019.” “This flight route was important to us because now we can connect more passengers to other parts of the world. There was a huge demand for Copa Airlines in Suriname and this new route gives us the opportunity to better connect North and South America with each other,” said Ordas.
For now Surinamese people still need a visa if they want to travel to Panama. The visa application forms must be filled in online because Panama still does not have an embassy or consulate in Suriname. “There will be talks between both countries to determine what the ministries of Foreign Affairs can do to speed up or make the visa application process between Suriname and Panama much easier,” said Ordas. Timothy Mendonça, director at Aviation Service, explained that people with a valid American or Schengen visa in their passports and who have already travelled once with it can also travel to Panama with it.Copa Airlines will fly from Panama to Suriname vice versa every Saturday and Wednesday. Ordas proudly pointed out that Copa Airlines is known as the most punctual airline in the world and he hopes that Suriname will also cooperate to keep this reputation intact. “We are prepared for this,” said Mendonça who added that everybody at the airport will make sure that things go smoothly at Suriname’s international airport. During the past couple of months several changes took place at the Johan Adolf Pengel (JAP) International Airport. A new boarding gate was added to Jap and the waiting room in the departure hall has also been expanded.
The arrival hall has also been made more convenient. “There is no demand to increase the number of baggage carousel because we still manage to process 6 to 8 flights every day without any delay. We will assess the situation in the coming period to determine if more things must be adapted or expanded at the airports,” said Mendonça.