Flight to Panama From the United States

PANAMA · TRAVEL

A flight to Panama can leave nonstop from 19 mainland US airports, most of them on Copa Airlines. Here are the routes, flight times, dated sample fares and entry rules, checked in October 2026.

A flight to Panama from the United States almost always lands at Tocumen International Airport, on the eastern side of Panama City. Nonstops leave 19 mainland US airports on the latest federal data, and Copa Airlines flies from 17 of them.

Miami and Fort Lauderdale are the shortest nonstops, while California routes cover two and a half to three times the straight-line distance. US citizens need no visa for short tourist stays, and the US dollar is an official currency of Panama.

Which US Cities Have a Nonstop Flight to Panama

Copa Airlines, based in Panama, lists 17 mainland US departure cities on its US website as of 15 October 2026. US Department of Transportation figures show Copa flying nonstop to Tocumen from all 17 in December 2025.

That federal dataset counts every nonstop passenger between US and foreign airports, and December 2025 is the latest month published. It shows these scheduled nonstop routes to Tocumen, by airline:

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• Copa Airlines: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Orlando, Raleigh-Durham, San Diego, San Francisco, Tampa and Washington Dulles, plus San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• United Airlines: Houston Intercontinental, Newark and San Francisco.
• Delta Air Lines: Atlanta.
• American Airlines: Miami.

Miami is the busiest gateway, with about seven to eight Copa round trips a day in December 2025, plus two on American. Orlando followed with about six to seven Copa round trips a day, then New York JFK with about four.

Los Angeles and Washington Dulles each had about three Copa round trips a day, as did United from Houston. Chicago, Boston, Newark and Tampa had about two a day each.

Denver, Fort Lauderdale and San Francisco had about one daily round trip per airline. Atlanta had about two a day across Copa and Delta.

Austin, Baltimore, Raleigh-Durham and San Diego had about five Copa round trips a week, and Las Vegas five to six. At launch, Copa flew such routes on set weekdays, for example Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from San Diego.

In all, 4,497,184 passengers took scheduled nonstops between US airports and Tocumen in 2025, up 7.8% from 2024. That is about 12,300 people a day, and Copa carried 82.6% of them.

United carried 11.4%, while Delta and American carried about 3% each. Copa’s busiest US routes in 2025 were Miami, Orlando, New York JFK, Los Angeles and Washington Dulles.

Puerto Rico has its own nonstop on Copa from San Juan, which carried 215,625 passengers in 2025. Frequencies change by season, so the airline timetable for your travel dates is what counts.

How Long the Flight Takes

Distance is a useful first guide, because airlines adjust timetables by season and times vary between flights on one route. Measured as approximate great-circle distance, not flying time, Miami and Fort Lauderdale lie about 1,160 to 1,180 miles from Tocumen.

Tampa and Orlando are about 1,320 to 1,340 miles away, and Atlanta and Houston about 1,730 to 1,780 miles. Washington, Baltimore, Newark and New York sit at roughly 2,070 to 2,210 miles, and Chicago and Boston at 2,330 to 2,360.

From the West, Denver is about 2,640 miles away, San Diego and Las Vegas about 2,910 and Los Angeles about 3,010. San Francisco, at about 3,320 miles, is the longest nonstop to Panama from the mainland.

Published timetables show what those distances mean in the air. Copa’s launch schedule from Raleigh-Durham, where service began in June 2024, took about 4 hours 26 minutes to Panama.

Copa’s Austin timetable, announced in February 2023 for service from 6 July that year, took about 4 hours 42 minutes southbound. The San Diego schedule, published by that airport in June 2025, took about 6 hours 14 minutes.

Northbound flights were scheduled slightly longer on all three routes, with the San Diego return at about 6 hours 38 minutes. Panama keeps one clock all year, matching US Eastern Standard Time, so it is an hour behind New York in summer.

What a Round-Trip Ticket Costs

The US Bureau of Transportation Statistics bases its average-fare reports on domestic itineraries, so there is no official average for Panama. The clearest public benchmark is the price display on the airline’s own website.

On the morning of 15 October 2026, Copa’s US website showed the following lowest round-trip economy fares to Panama City. Copa says each was collected within the previous 48 hours:

• Miami: from US$522
• Fort Lauderdale: from US$582
• Atlanta: from US$590
• Washington Dulles and Baltimore: from US$594
• Orlando: from US$612
• Denver: from US$649
• Tampa: from US$650
• Los Angeles and San Diego: from US$660
• Las Vegas: from US$670
• Raleigh-Durham: from US$697
• Austin: from US$703
• New York JFK: from US$720
• Boston: from US$760
• Chicago O’Hare: from US$777
• San Francisco: from US$836

Most of those lowest fares were for travel between December 2026 and March 2027. Copa warns that displayed fares may no longer be available at booking and that fees for optional services can apply.

The same pages showed higher prices for departures in October 2026, the month the sample was taken. From New York JFK, the cheapest October round trip was US$885, against US$720 for January.

From Orlando the gap was US$804 against US$612, and from Washington Dulles US$755 against US$594. Prices from Denver and Las Vegas barely moved across the months shown.

No comparable public fare sample was available for United, Delta or American on their Panama routes. Their prices from Houston, Newark, Atlanta, Miami and San Francisco need checking on their own websites.

Direct, Connecting and Domestic Options

Travellers from cities without a nonstop usually connect once, often through a US hub. On December 2025 federal data, United flew to Panama from Houston, Newark and San Francisco, Delta from Atlanta and American from Miami.

Copa does not fly within the United States, so its passengers must first reach one of its 17 US gateways. A separate domestic ticket to that gateway can leave you unprotected if a delay makes you miss the Panama flight.

Tocumen is also Copa’s hub, linking more than 80 destinations in 32 countries, the airline said in June 2025. Its network covers North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, so Panama City works as a transfer point.

Copa’s website lists two arrival airports in Panama, Tocumen and Albrook Marcos A. Gelabert, both in the capital. Albrook mainly handles domestic flights, while all scheduled US nonstops use Tocumen.

Copa also flies from Tocumen to David, the main city of Chiriquí province and the gateway to the highland town of Boquete. A guide to Panama’s canal, economy and politics explains the country beyond the capital.

Booking Tips for Cheaper Tickets

Compare nearby airports before booking, because Copa’s sample fares differed by gateway. Fort Lauderdale started at US$582 against US$522 from Miami, while Dulles and Baltimore matched at US$594.

Book ahead where you can, since October departures cost about US$160 to US$200 more than winter dates on several East Coast routes. In the sample, flexible dates paid off most from New York, Orlando, Tampa and Washington.

Check what the fare includes before comparing totals. Copa’s help centre says Economy Basic includes a 10 kg carry-on but charges for checked bags, while Economy Classic includes one.

Economy Full, Copa’s most flexible main-cabin fare, adds a second bag and drops change fees, though fare differences apply. Those extras can outweigh a lower headline fare for families with luggage.

Think twice before buying a one-way ticket, because Panama requires proof of a return or onward booking. Both the State Department and Panama’s migration service list that requirement.

Watch for disruption waivers after natural disasters, which can allow free changes. After the 9 October earthquake, Copa offered fee-free rebooking and refunds even on nonrefundable tickets for affected dates.

Entry Rules for US Citizens

US tourists can stay up to 180 days without a visa, a limit the State Department says is strictly enforced. Its Panama travel page also says the passport must be valid for three months beyond the arrival date.

Panama’s National Migration Service, the immigration authority, asks visitors for an original passport with at least three months’ validity. It also requires a confirmed booking to leave the country within the permitted stay.

Visitors must show funds of no less than B/.500, or US$500, since the balboa is worth one dollar. Children under 18 are exempt from that funds rule, the migration service says.

The State Department lists a currency restriction of US$10,000 on entry and on exit. A yellow fever vaccination is required only for travellers arriving from countries where the disease is endemic.

Panamanian citizens and legal residents under 18, including dual nationals, need notarised Spanish consent from both parents to leave with one parent. Consent signed in the United States must carry an apostille, a certificate that authenticates the document.

The State Department rates Panama at Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of crime, in an advisory issued on 19 August 2026. It says not to travel to the Mosquito Gulf coast or parts of the Darién region.

The Darién zone runs to the Colombian border, and US government staff need special permission to go to either area. A guide to safety in Panama explains how crime varies by province.

Arriving at Tocumen and Getting Into the City

Tocumen has two passenger terminals, and official taxi stands sit at the arrivals exits of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The airport publishes reference fares in dollars, each covering up to two passengers.

A taxi to central Panama City is listed at US$30, to Albrook at US$35 and to Amador at US$38. Colón costs US$85, and beach towns such as Coronado US$120.

Drivers belong to the official cooperative and wear a uniform, and the airport advises checking their ID card and vehicle decals. Extra passengers, tours and hourly hires are priced by the cooperative on request.

The airport quotes its taxi fares in US dollars, which circulate as legal tender in Panama alongside the balboa. You do not need to change money before you fly.

The Panama City page covers neighbourhoods and daily life for newcomers. For events during a visit, see what to do in Panama City in October 2026.

Longer stays raise other questions, from rent to residency. The cost of living guide for Panama City and the overview of residency visas cover both.

The October 2026 Earthquake and Air Travel

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck at 12:56 p.m. local time on Friday, 9 October 2026, the US Geological Survey says. Its epicentre lay near Pitaloza Arriba in south-central Panama, about 140 miles southwest of Tocumen.

Tocumen suspended operations at about 1 p.m. that day to inspect its facilities, the Panamanian daily La Prensa reported. Aftershocks over the weekend closed the control tower and airport several times, each followed by new runway checks.

The USGS recorded aftershocks of magnitude 6.6 and 6.0 later on 9 October and 6.1 on 12 October, local time. Copa told La Prensa it cancelled more than 280 flights, about 20% of its schedule on the affected days.

Copa told the paper it ran its full schedule on Monday, 12 October and expected normal punctuality from Tuesday, 13 October. Its free waiver covers tickets issued by 9 October for 9 to 14 October travel, with new dates up to 31 October.

Unused tickets from that window can be refunded even when the fare was nonrefundable, Copa said on 10 October. The coverage of the state of emergency explains the government’s response.

What It Means for US Readers

For most US travellers, a flight to Panama is a visa-free international trip on East Coast winter time. Nonstops from 19 mainland US airports mean many travellers never need to connect.

Copa carried 82.6% of nonstop passengers in 2025, so its schedule and fares shape most choices. Travellers from Houston and Newark, where only United flies nonstop, have a single nonstop option.

Investors can follow the business through Copa Holdings, the parent company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Daily news on the airline, the canal and the economy is on the Rio Times Panama page.

What Prediction Markets Say

Kalshi, a US exchange regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, lists bets on whether President Donald Trump retakes the Panama Canal. The contract pays out if the US government controls at least part of the canal before 20 January 2029.

It traded at 20.0% on 15 October at 8:21 a.m. ET, against a previous price of 19%, with about 609,000 contracts traded. Panama has run the canal since 31 December 1999 under the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties.

These are bets on a political outcome, not forecasts by any government. Nothing in the market changes the entry rules or flight options described above.

Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.

What Is Not Known

No official average fare exists for US flights to Panama, and Copa’s displayed fares change daily. Fares on the United, Delta and American routes were not sampled here.

Federal passenger data run only to December 2025, so 2026 schedule changes by US airlines are not yet reflected. Exact flight times for Miami, New York and other large gateways depend on each timetable and were not checked flight by flight.

It is not known whether further strong aftershocks will interrupt Tocumen again. The migration service’s public pages do not state the maximum tourist stay, which comes from the State Department.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is a flight to Panama from the United States?

Measured as approximate great-circle distance, nonstops range from about 1,160 miles from Miami to about 3,320 miles from San Francisco. Published schedules show about 4.5 hours from Raleigh-Durham and about 6.25 hours from San Diego.

Which airlines fly nonstop to Panama from the US?

Copa Airlines flies nonstop from 17 mainland US cities plus San Juan, Puerto Rico. In December 2025 federal data, United flew from Houston, Newark and San Francisco, Delta from Atlanta and American from Miami.

How much does a round-trip flight to Panama cost?

On 15 October 2026, Copa’s lowest round-trip economy fares to Panama City ran from US$522 from Miami to US$836 from San Francisco. Its website showed them mostly for winter dates, and they can change daily.

Do US citizens need a visa for Panama?

No visa is needed for tourist stays of up to 180 days. Travellers need a passport valid three months beyond arrival, a return or onward ticket and at least US$500 in funds.

Which airport do flights from the US use?

All scheduled nonstop flights from the United States land at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City. Albrook Marcos A. Gelabert airport, also in the capital, mainly handles domestic flights.

Is Tocumen open after the October 2026 earthquake?

Yes, though aftershocks forced repeated closures in the days after the magnitude 7.7 quake of 9 October. Copa told La Prensa it ran its full schedule again from 12 October.

Sources: US Department of Transportation, International Report: Passengers (nonstop, 2024-2025); US Department of Transportation, International Report: Departures (December 2025); Bureau of Transportation Statistics, how average fares are calculated; Copa Airlines, flights from the United States to Panama; Copa Airlines, US departures by city; Copa Airlines, New York to Panama City fares; Copa Airlines help centre, fare classes; Copa Airlines, Austin service press release (13 February 2023); Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Copa launch; San Diego International Airport, Copa route (26 June 2025); Tocumen International Airport, taxi fares; Servicio Nacional de Migración de Panamá, entry requirements; US Department of State, Panama international travel information; US Department of State, Panama travel advisory; US Geological Survey, M 7.7 Panama event page; US Department of State, Office of the Historian, Return of the Panama Canal; Copa Airlines statement on restoring operations (10 October 2026); La Prensa, Copa recovers operations after cancelling more than 280 flights; Kalshi market data from its public API (all accessed 15 October 2026).