Panama Pursues Direct Tokyo Route

The Panama government and its tourism authority have had discussions with Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) about the possibility of it operating a Boeing 787 Dreamliner direct from Tokyo Narita to Tocumen International Airport in Panama City.

This is according to Fernando E de León de Alba, deputy general administrator of Panama’s Authority of Tourism, who was speaking to The HUB Daily at Routes Americas in Santo Domingo.

“If that happened, it would open an important door from Panama to Asia. At the moment, anyone who wants to fly from Latin America to Asia needs to go via the United States. If we have that direct flight from Narita to Panama, all those business people from South America will be able to fly from Panama to Narita,” said de León de Alba.

ANA is the launch customer of the much-delayed Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which is forecast for delivery in the third quarter of 2011.