{"id":18803,"date":"2026-11-14T20:03:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-15T01:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=18803"},"modified":"2026-11-14T12:16:41","modified_gmt":"2026-11-14T17:16:41","slug":"us-airspace-reopening-wont-save-these-18-copa-flights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/travel-transportation-tourism\/us-airspace-reopening-wont-save-these-18-copa-flights\/","title":{"rendered":"US Airspace Reopening Won&#8217;t Save These 18 Copa Flights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Federal Aviation Administration lifted its nationwide <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ground_stop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ground stop<\/a> yesterday, late Friday, November 13, 2026, restoring flight operations after a major communications failure paralyzed <a href=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/news\/us-and-china-clash-in-panama-over-cyber-espionage-and-bridge-project\/\" rel=\"internal\">air traffic<\/a> across the <a href=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/people-opinions-language\/us-military-leaders-honor-fallen-at-panama-veterans-day-ceremony\/\" rel=\"internal\">United States<\/a>. The US airspace reopening came nearly four hours after the FAA ordered all departures halted, a disruption that immediately affected 18 Copa Airlines flights bound for or returning from American destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Panama&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/politics-government\/the-panama-canal-belongs-exclusively-to-panamanians-mulinos-government-rejects-hegseth-statements\/\" rel=\"internal\">Civil Aviation Authority<\/a> (AAC) confirmed that two flights originally scheduled for US territory returned to Panama as a precautionary measure. Officials stressed that no evidence pointed to a malicious attack, but warned that full operational recovery would take considerable time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"747\" height=\"498\" src=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/copa-airlines-2026-announcments-747x498-1.webp\" alt=\"copa airlines 2026 announcments\" class=\"wp-image-12596\" srcset=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/copa-airlines-2026-announcments-747x498-1.webp 747w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/copa-airlines-2026-announcments-747x498-1-150x100.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 747px) 100vw, 747px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Immediate Impact on Copa Airlines Operations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copa Airlines moved quickly to address passenger concerns, announcing flexible rebooking options without penalty or fare difference. The policy applies to tickets issued through November 13, 2026, for travel scheduled on November 13 and 14 between Panama and the United States, excluding Puerto Rico. Passengers can request changes through November 17 for rebooking through November 22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The carrier also confirmed that if an original flight was canceled, passengers holding unused or partially used tickets would be eligible for refunds, regardless of whether the fare was originally refundable. Copa advised travelers to verify flight status before heading to the airport and said itinerary changes would be communicated via email or through its mobile application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">After restoring full functionality at our air traffic control centers and TRACONs, the @FAANews reopened the airspace tonight.\n\nIt will take us time resume normal operations, so please continue to check with your airline for the latest information. Our top priority is the safety of you and your family when you fly.<\/p>&mdash; Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecDuffy\/status\/2121422750686310818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 14, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Root Cause and Federal Response to the Ground Stop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The suspension originated from a communications problem affecting en route air traffic control centers across the United States. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said FAA technicians were actively investigating the failure when the order was issued. The agency restored full functionality to air traffic control centers and Terminal Radar Approach Control facilities before reopening the airspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FlightAware data showed nearly 6,000 flights canceled during the disruption, including multiple international routes. Airport terminals nationwide displayed scenes of packed gates, grounded aircraft, and confused passengers searching for alternatives. Airline employees appeared equally uncertain about the situation as they removed passengers from planes moments before scheduled departures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1920px-terminal-2-of-international-airport-of-tocumen-2-1200x800-1.webp\" alt=\"1920px Terminal 2 of International Airport of Tocumen 2\" class=\"wp-image-11581\" srcset=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1920px-terminal-2-of-international-airport-of-tocumen-2-1200x800-1.webp 1200w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1920px-terminal-2-of-international-airport-of-tocumen-2-1200x800-1-150x100.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Por TomasVial &#8211; Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=144704601<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aeronautica.gob.pa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Panama&#8217;s Aviation Authority<\/a> Maintains Oversight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The AAC reported that it monitored all scheduled operations toward the United States throughout the incident and kept standard safety protocols active. The agency remains in contact with international aviation authorities and affected airlines to track the evolving situation and assess any additional impacts on air operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the US airspace reopening, both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.faa.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">FAA officials<\/a> and Copa Airlines cautioned that delays and schedule adjustments would persist. The FAA&#8217;s official message urged passengers to continue checking with their airlines for the most current information, acknowledging that resuming normal operations would not happen immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Panama&#8217;s aviation sector, heavily dependent on connections through Copa&#8217;s hub at Tocumen International Airport, faces a gradual recovery period. The airline&#8217;s extensive network linking Latin America to US destinations means residual delays could ripple through regional schedules for days as aircraft and crews are repositioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1620px-boeing-737-8v3w-hp-1831cmp-copa-airlines-14251955715-1200x800-1.webp\" alt=\"1620px Boeing 737 8V3(w) 'HP 1831CMP' Copa Airlines (14251955715)\" class=\"wp-image-10472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1620px-boeing-737-8v3w-hp-1831cmp-copa-airlines-14251955715-1200x800-1.webp 1200w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1620px-boeing-737-8v3w-hp-1831cmp-copa-airlines-14251955715-1200x800-1-150x100.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Copa By Alan Wilson &#8211; Boeing 737-8V3(w) &#8216;HP-1831CMP&#8217; Copa Airlines, CC BY-SA 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=33925320<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Federal Aviation Administration lifted its nationwide ground stop yesterday, late Friday, November 13, 2026, restoring flight operations after a major communications failure paralyzed air traffic across the United States. The US airspace reopening came nearly four hours after the FAA ordered all departures halted, a disruption that immediately affected 18 Copa Airlines flights bound<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[35,87],"tags":[601,692,578,7919,50],"class_list":["post-18803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-travel-transportation-tourism","category-featured","tag-air-traffic-control","tag-air-travel","tag-aviation","tag-flight-disruptions","tag-panama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18803"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18804,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18803\/revisions\/18804"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}