Aviation

Copa Airlines and Turkish Airlines Begin Codeshare Flights Between Europe and Latin America

With this codeshare agreement, passengers from several destinations in Latin America and Europe will enjoy seamless connections through the carriers’ ideally located hubs in Panama (Americas), and in Turkey, the bridge country that connects the East and the West.

Copa Airlines, subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A., and Turkish Airlines, both members of Star Alliance, the leading global airline network, signed a Codeshare Agreement which will offer passengers more flight options with seamless connections through Copa’s Hub of the Americas, in Panama City, and Turkish’s seamless gateway to Europe through the company’s Hub, in Istanbul, Turkey.
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The strategic Hub of the Americas of Copa Airlines, in Panama City, will allow passengers coming from Istanbul fast and efficiently connect to 74 destinations in America and the Caribbean, including the most important cities of the region. Also with this codeshare agreement, the Latin American passengers traveling with Turkish Airlines through its uniquely positioned hub, Istanbul, that bridges the East and the West, will have more entry options to Europe also Africa, Asia/ Far East and Middle East.

Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines said: “This agreement between Copa Airlines and Turkish Airlines has great importance since it contributes to strengthen the connectivity between Latin America with Istanbul and the rest of Europe. Passengers from both hemispheres will benefit from world-class services and seamless connections through the hubs of the codeshare partners.”

Initially, Turkish will place its code on Copa flights between Panama City and David in Panama; Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Manaus, Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo in Brazil; Santo Domingo and Punta Cana in Dominican Republic; Guayaquil and Quito in Ecuador; San Salvador in El Salvador; Asuncion in Paraguay; Lima in Peru. On the other hand, Copa will place its code on Turkish operated flights between Panama and Istanbul. Progressively, as government approvals are granted, Turkish will also place its code on Copa flights to Cancun, Mexico City, and Guadalajara in Mexico; Managua in Nicaragua; San Jose in Costa Rica and Montevideo in Uruguay in order to expand the range of these codeshare flights into the region.

“We are delighted to begin codeshare cooperation with Copa Airlines, which will improve our partnership as Star Alliance partners and also provide unique travel opportunities to the passengers through the far-reaching flight networks of both airlines. Especially, with our flights to Panama City operated from our incomparably positioned hub, Istanbul, passengers would enjoy to travel all around the continent with Copa Airlines’ flights from Panama City,” said Bilal Ekşi, Turkish Airlines Deputy Chairman & CEO.

This agreement, which complements and expands the route networks of both airlines as well as the connectivity between the continents, will also improve and promote bilateral opportunities for tourism and commercial developments between two countries.
Passengers of Copa and Turkish will enjoy the multiple benefits offered by Star Alliance, including reciprocity between the frequent flyer programs of both airlines and global recognition of the Star Alliance Gold and Silver status through the large route network that includes 1,300 airports in 190 countries.

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”