Argentine government authorizes Copa Airlines to operate flights to Salta and Tucumán
Through Provision 17/2025, the National Government has officially authorized Copa Airlines to operate regular flights between Panama and the cities of Salta and Tucumán. The airline had already announced plans to begin operations in both provinces.
The National Government, through the Undersecretariat of Air Transport, has granted Copa Airlines authorization to operate regular international passenger and cargo services to Salta and Tucumán from Panama.
Through Provision 17/2025, published in the Official Gazette on June 19, 2025 (spanish document), the aviation authority approved the request by the Panamanian flag carrier to operate two key routes that will connect Argentina’s northwest (NOA) with the rest of the continent. The decision, signed by the Undersecretary of Air Transport, Hernán Adrián Gómez, formalizes the application by COMPAÑÍA PANAMEÑA DE AVIACIÓN S.A. to operate the routes Panama (PTY) – Salta (SLA) and Panama (PTY) – Tucumán (TUC), including return flights.
This authorization is based on the Air Services Agreement signed between Argentina and Panama on November 20, 2006, and the Record of Meeting of Aeronautical Authorities dated June 26, 2024. The company met all legal and administrative requirements under Argentine regulations, including designation by its home country’s aviation authority.
The inclusion of Salta and Tucumán in Copa Airlines’ network marks a milestone for air connectivity in northern Argentina. The airline currently serves Buenos Aires (EZE), Córdoba (COR), Rosario (ROS), and Mendoza (MDZ). With these new routes, passengers from the NOA region will have more direct access to the Hub of the Americas at Tocumen International Airport in Panama, facilitating connections to over 80 destinations across the Americas and the Caribbean.
While the authorization marks the final administrative step, Copa Airlines had already announced in April its intention to launch both routes starting in September 2025, with three weekly frequencies for each city. The Salta route represents a return, while Tucumán is a new destination for the airline.
Key Information
• Which routes were authorized? Panama (PTY) – Salta (SLA) and Panama (PTY) – Tucumán (TUC), round trip.
• Type of service? Combined passenger and cargo operations.
• Which airline? Copa Airlines, the Panamanian flag carrier.
• When does it take effect? Authorization is effective immediately following publication. Flights are expected to begin in September 2025.
• Why is it significant? It expands international connectivity for Northwest Argentina (NOA), linking it to Copa’s Panama hub and promoting tourism and trade.
Flights will be operated by aircraft from the Boeing 737 family, the backbone of Copa Airlines’ fleet. The launch of these routes aligns with Argentina’s policy of greater openness in the air transport sector, aimed at boosting competition and increasing international flight offerings to and from the country’s interior.
For Martín Miguel de Güemes Airport (SLA) and Teniente General Benjamín Matienzo Airport (TUC), these flights reaffirm their status as international terminals. Salta already has connections to Lima (LATAM), São Paulo (Aerolíneas Argentinas), and Asunción (Paranair), while Tucumán offers service to Lima (LATAM) and Punta Cana (Aerolíneas Argentinas). Copa Airlines’ arrival diversifies options and opens a new range of destinations for travelers in the region.
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