Panamanian carrier Copa Airlines could set aside its plans to incorporate the Boeing 737 MAX 10 into its fleet. The company still has pending orders for 15 units of this model, but its CEO, Pedro Heilbron, has admitted he is unsure whether they will ultimately receive them.
The executive assured FlightGlobal that the group is “quite satisfied with the mix of Max 8 and Max 9” it currently operates, opening the possibility of maintaining that configuration without adding the longest version of the family.
The Boeing 737 MAX 10, the highest-capacity aircraft in the MAX family, is accumulating delays and is now expected to obtain certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2026. Copa had formalized its commitment to this model at the 2017 Paris Air Show.
A Constantly Evolving Fleet
As of the end of the second quarter, the airline had 105 aircraft: 57 Boeing 737-800s, nine 737-700s, 32 MAX 9s, six MAX 8s, and one 737-800 Freighter. Since then, two more MAX 8s have been added to the fleet.
The 737 MAX 9s are used for routes of between four and six hours, including flights from Panama City to Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Meanwhile, the new MAX 8s are arriving to gradually replace the 737-800s, considered the workhorse of the company.
“Once Boeing stopped producing the -800, the logical transition was to the MAX 8; same size, same configuration,” explained Heilbron.
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The MAX 7 Question and the Renewal of the 737-700s
The airline has at some point evaluated incorporating the MAX 7, the smallest but longest-range variant in the family. However, there are no firm plans to make it happen, as this model is also awaiting FAA certification in 2026.
“It’s a good aircraft, but we try to limit the number of different configurations we have because it adds complexity,” Heilbron noted.
With an age ranging from 19 to 25 years, the 737-700s will eventually be replaced by the MAX 8, unless the company modifies its strategy. Even so, the executive does not rule out a MAX 7 order “in the medium term” as a replacement, though for now he insists on avoiding adding more variants.
No Plans to Operate Wide-body Aircraft
The possibility of Copa Airlines diversifying with long-range aircraft, such as wide-bodies, also appears to be ruled out for reasons of efficiency and cost control.
“We focus on a very disciplined execution of our business model, and we work hard not to get distracted by ideas that might sound good but aren’t necessarily for us,” Heilbron emphasized.
Instead of expanding into its own transatlantic operations, the company collaborates with European airlines that fly to Panama. “We feed our network and we also feed theirs, but we have no plans to bring in wide-body aircraft or to fly across the Atlantic,” he stated.
Will It Open the Door to Airbus or Embraer in the Future?
Although Copa has established itself as an exclusive Boeing 737 operator, its CEO does not rule out that this could change at some point.
“Operating only 737s is the reality now, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be the reality forever,” Heilbron admitted when asked about the possibility of incorporating Airbus or Embraer aircraft into the fleet. “We like being a single-type operator,” he concluded.
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