19 March 2020 – Government suspends all passenger flights for 30 days

Type of Intervention: Specific Action
Sectors Involved: Immigration, Private Sector and Businesses, Tourism, Transportation
Intervention Categories: International travel measures
Level of Jurisdiction: National
Lead People/Agency: National Civil Aeronautical Authority

Overview: The Republic of Panama ordered the complete closure of its airspace for all regular international passenger flights for 30 days beginning on Sunday, March 22 at 11:59 p.m. The directive was decreed by the President of Panama Laurentino Cortizo through his official Twitter account, in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), a disease that already affects more than 100 people in the country./mandated on march 19, 2020.

The veto does not apply to repatriation, humanitarian and cargo flights, which may continue to operate.

Suspension of domestic flight operations for general and commercial aviation, including passenger air transportation in the network of domestic and international airports in the Republic of Panama./Mandated on march 24, 2020.

The veto does not apply to humanitarian and cargo flights, which may continue to operate if those are for transportation of products/equipment for medical and hospitals, medicines, vaccines and all others related to sanitary emergencies or approved by the health authorities.

Full details here: https://www.aeronautica.gob.pa/images/resolucion%20no.40.pdf

Other links: 1 2
Type of Justification: Advice of INTERNAL government advisory committee or group, Advice of EXTERNAL expert advisor or advisory committee, Scientific Evidence (e.g. academic paper, report)
Source of Evidence or Justification: World Health Organisation, National – government, National – other
Evidence/Justification: Tocumen International Airport reported between January and December 2019 a total of 16,582,601 passengers, which represents a growth of 2.09% over the previous year.

149,808 aircraft movements were carried out throughout the year, 1% more with reference to 2018, which represents a daily average of 410 landing and takeoff operations.

During the past year, passengers in transit or on connecting flights accounted for 11,785,934 passengers and recorded a variation compared to 2018 of less than 3% according to data published by Tocumen Airport for the full year.

According to statistical data, on average, a total of 45,432 passengers are mobilized daily through Tocumen International Airport, including embarked, disembarked and transfer users.

In 2019, 25 commercial passenger airlines and 16 cargo airlines operated at Tocumen International Airport; This air terminal serves 89 destinations in 39 countries in America, Europe and Asia.