ISTANBUL—Panama-based Copa Airlines will fuel its growth on a mix of new Boeing 737 MAX deliveries and lease renewals as aircraft delivery delays persist. 

The airline recently added 15 737 MAX aircraft to an order for 71 MAXs it placed in 2015. Previously, Copa said it is taking delivery of 12 737-9s in 2023 followed by eight 737-8s in 2024. 

During an interview with CAPA TV during the IATA annual general meeting in Istanbul, Copa Chief Commercial Officer Dennis Cary explained the airline would like to pull some deliveries forward: “We’d like to grow faster.” 

Cary said Copa has a number of 737 Next Generation (NG) aircraft on lease, and as the carrier expects to grow over the next few years, a mix of new MAX deliveries and a significant number of lease renewals on NGs will support its expansion. Cary said the 737 NGs are still “quite young and a great aircraft for us.” 

Aviation Week Network’s Fleet Discovery shows Copa operates 21 737-9s, nine 737-700s, 58 737-800s and a single 737-800F. One 737-9 and a 737-800 are parked/in reserve. According to the database, 49 of Copa’s aircraft are leased and 42 are owned. 

Copa does have nine of the 737-10 variant on order, and Cary said the model remains under consideration, noting the airline has a lot of flexibility within the MAX aircraft family. 

CFM Leap engines power the current 737-9s in Copa’s fleet, and Cary explained that while the airline sees a horizon for improved reliability, “right now we’re still very much in the midst of getting that improvement into real life.” 

During 2023, Copa is adding three destinations from Panama City Tocumen to Manta, Ecuador; Austin, Texas; and Baltimore Washington International airport—all launching from the end of June to early July. Copa has added a dozen or more routes during the last few years, and Cary said those three markets are “performing very well” versus “our usual startup.” 

The airline usually adds new routes in the middle and end of the year, but at the moment Copa has no planned additions for the end of 2023. “That’s a constant conversation we’re having based on the number of aircraft we’re able to fly by the end of the year,” Cary said.