SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
6-K
Report
of Foreign Issuer
Pursuant
to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Report
on Form 6-K dated for the month of
January, 2009
Copa
Holdings, S.A.
(Translation
of Registrant's Name Into English)
Boulevard
Costa del Este, Avenida Principal y Avenida de la Rotonda
Urbanización
Costa del Este
Parque
Lefevre
Panama
City, Panama
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.)
Form
20-F x Form
40-F o
(Indicate
by check whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this
Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to
Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.)
Yes o No x
(If “Yes”
is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b);82- )
Enclosure: COPA HOLDINGS ANNOUNCES 16.5% TRAFFIC
GROWTH FOR DECEMBER 2008
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PRESS
RELEASE
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CONTACT:
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Joseph
Putaturo – Panamá
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Director-Investor
Relations
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(507)
304-2677
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COPA
HOLDINGS ANNOUNCES 16.5% TRAFFIC GROWTH FOR DECEMBER 2008
Panama City, January
13 - Copa
Holdings, S.A. (NYSE: CPA), and its Copa Airlines and Aero Republica operating
subsidiaries, today released preliminary passenger traffic statistics for
December 2008:
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Copa
Holdings (Consolidated)
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December
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December
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Change
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2008
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2007
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(%)
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ASM
(mm) (1)
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848.4
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706.9
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20.0%
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RPM
(mm) (2)
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629.6
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540.3
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16.5%
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Load
Factor (3)
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74.2%
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76.4%
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-2.2
p.p.
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Copa
Airlines
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ASM
(mm) (1)
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705.0
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577.9
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22.0%
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RPM
(mm) (2)
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530.1
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450.5
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17.7%
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Load
Factor (3)
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75.2%
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78.0%
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-2.8
p.p.
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Aero
Republica
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ASM
(mm) (1)
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143.4
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129.0
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11.1%
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RPM
(mm) (2)
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99.5
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89.8
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10.8%
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Load
Factor (3)
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69.4%
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69.6%
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-0.2
p.p.
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1. Available
seat miles - represents the aircraft seating capacity multiplied by the
number of miles the seats are flown.
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2. Revenue
passenger miles - represents the numbers of miles flown by revenue
passengers
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3. Load
factor - represents the percentage of aircraft seating capacity
that is actually utilized
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For
the month of December 2008, Copa Holdings’ system-wide passenger traffic (RPM)
increased 16.5%, while capacity (ASM) increased 20.0%. System load
factor for December 2008 was 74.2%, a 2.2 percentage point decrease when
compared to December 2007.
Copa
Airlines passenger traffic (RPM) for December 2008 increased 17.7%, while
capacity (ASM) increased 22.0%. This resulted in a load factor of 75.2%, a 2.8
percentage point decrease when compared to December 2007.
Aero
Republica passenger traffic (RPM) for December 2008 increased 10.8%, while
capacity (ASM) increased 11.1%. Load factor for the month was 69.4%,
a 0.2 percentage point decrease when compared to December 2007.
1
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Copa
Holdings, through its Copa Airlines and Aero Republica operating subsidiaries,
is a leading Latin American provider of passenger and cargo
service. Copa Airlines currently offers approximately 144 daily
scheduled flights to 45 destinations in 24 countries in North, Central and South
America and the Caribbean. In addition, Copa Airlines provides passengers
with access to flights to more than 120 other international destinations through
code share agreements with Continental Airlines and other
airlines. Aero Republica, the second-largest domestic carrier in
Colombia, provides service to 12 cities in Colombia as well as international
connectivity with Copa Airlines’ Hub of the Americas through flights from
Bogota, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Medellin and Pereira. Additionally, in May
2008, Aero Republica increased international service by launching direct daily
flights to Caracas, Venezuela from the cities of Bogota and
Medellin.
CPA-G
2
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto
duly authorized.
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Copa Holdings, S.A.
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(Registrant)
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Date:
01/13/2009
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By: /s/ Victor
Vial
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Name: Victor
Vial
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Title: CFO
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