Copa Airlines

Copa Airlines maintains a strong safety reputation within the aviation industry. AirlineRatings.com has consistently awarded Copa Airlines a seven-out-of-seven-star safety rating, the highest possible, indicating compliance with international safety standards. The airline has a generally strong safety record with zero fatal accidents in the last 10 years and a record of passing all major safety audits.

While largely safe, Copa Airlines has had one fatal accident in its history: Copa Airlines Flight 201 on June 6, 1992, where a Boeing 737-200 crashed in the Darién Gap, Panama, killing all 47 people on board due to faulty instrument readings and pilot error. Since this incident, the airline has not had any major crashes or fatalities. More recently, minor incidents include a runway excursion in Panama City in September 2022 and an engine shutdown in flight over the Caribbean in November 2025. Copa Airlines also proactively grounded some of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft due to a safety issue identified by the FAA, quickly addressing the matter once necessary approvals were obtained.

Copa adheres to standards set by organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Panama holds a Category 1 rating from the FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program, indicating compliance with ICAO safety standards, which positively reflects on Copa Airlines. The airline is committed to maintaining its fleet using advanced maintenance management software. Copa operates one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the region, with an average fleet age of 7.4 years as of some reports.

Copa Airlines has received numerous awards and recognitions, particularly for its punctuality and service. It has been recognized by Skytrax as the "Best Airline in Central America and the Caribbean" for ten consecutive years (as of 2025) and also won "Best Staff Service in Central America and the Caribbean". Furthermore, Cirium recognized Copa Airlines as the "Most Punctual Airline in Latin America" for 10 years, achieving an 88.22% punctuality rate in 2024 and a 99.8% schedule completion factor. It has also been named one of the world's 5-star airlines by the APEX Passenger Experience Association.