OREANDA-NEWS. November 24, 2015. Copa Airlines (NYSE: CPA) took delivery of the 100th airplane to join its fleet, a Boeing 737-800 decorated with a special decal celebrating the airline achieving this important milestone.

The airplane, leased from SMBC Aviation Capital, flew from Seattle to its Panama City home base, where it was welcomed by a special ceremony.

"We are proud to celebrate this historic achievement for our company and for the country – a result of the efforts of our more than 9,000 dedicated coworkers, and the support of our customers, suppliers, government entities and partners," said Pedro Heilbron, CEO, Copa Airlines. "This aircraft symbolizes our airline's steady growth during its 68-year history, as well as the enhancement of Panama's connectivity with the world and its reputation as a major logistics and tourism center, all of which translate to better opportunities for development for the country and for all Panamanians."

With this new airplane, Copa now has 77 Next-Generation 737s in its fleet. In April, the airline signed an order for 61 737 MAX airplanes.

The 737 MAX builds on the strengths of today's Next-Generation 737 by incorporating the latest-technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market. Airlines operating the 737 MAX will see a 14 percent fuel-use improvement over today's most fuel efficient single-aisle airplanes.

Copa Airlines allows passengers to make fast and convenient connections to 74 destinations in 31 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean through its Hub of the Americas in Panama City, the airline hub with the most international connections in Latin America. For the last two consecutive years, FlightStats has recognized Copa as "Best Airline in Latin America" for its on-time performance and quality of service.