Forbes.com - PANAMA CITY - Copa Holdings SA, the parent company of Panama's national airline, said Monday that consolidated revenue passenger miles increased 10.6 percent in July compared to the same month a year ago. The company said it flew 619.7 million revenue passenger miles in July, compared to 560.5 million in July 2007. Available seat miles, or capacity, increased 9.3 percent to 766.3 million, compared to 700.8 million in July 2007. Its load factor in July was 80.9 percent, compared to 80.0 percent in July 2007. Revenue passenger miles represents the numbers of miles flown by revenue passengers. Available seat miles represents the aircraft seating capacity multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown. Load factor represents the percentage of aircraft seating capacity that is actually utilized. Copa Holdings (nyse: CPA - news - people ) is the parent of Copa Airlines and Aero Republica. Copa Airlines passenger traffic for July increased 14.6 percent, while capacity increased 15.2 percent. Aero Republica passenger traffic for July decreased 9.4 percent, while capacity decreased 11.8 percent. Shares of Copa Holdings rose 77 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $38.12 in midday trading.

By José Somarriba Hernández for La Prensa - There are only 15 months left in the 18 month "transition period" designated by the Panamanian government to put the new Transmóvil system into effect - the new public transportation system, and to turn it over to the companies who win the public bids to operate. So far the government has not complied with the time schedules announced on 14 May 2008, among those that in 30 days from the date of the announcement they would publish the bid sheets for the public bidding processes for the purchase of the first 420 buses. Formal negotiations have not begun either to compensate the owners of the "Red Devil" buses that are currently in service. On that issue, the person who is in charge of this project, Leonel Solís, said recently that they would make a schedule to visit and negotiate with each of the groups of bus owners in turn. So far, this has not taken place. What has been done is that the Executive (President Martin Torrijos) has issued a decree prohibiting the importation of used or second hand buses to be used in the Panamanian public transportation system.

Inside Costa Rica.com - The first major disruption of the nine-month-old Costa Rican-Panamanian free trade agreement came on July 6, when approximately 200 truck drivers from Panama, Costa Rica, and other Central American countries paralyzed cargo crossing from Paso Canoas, Panama to Cerro Punta, Costa Rica. The protest, sparked by exorbitant Costa Rican tariffs and taxes, draws attention to the inconsistencies within the current import/export fee system. Costa Rica previously was charging vehicle operators for driving through the country, even though the fees violated a law passed in 2001. Manuel Mora, president of the National Association of Truck Drivers of Panamá (Canatraca) told Inside Costa Rica that the country "wants U.S. $70 for hauling a load between Paso Canoas and San José and U.S. $140 for travel between Paso Canoas and Peñas Blancas" on the Nicaraguan border. (more)

La Critica - Panama's President Martin Torrijos said the Transmóvil project will not be suspended because it is a high priority subject for users. "Our sympathies and worry must be with the users, because the transportation system is exhausted and we have promised to renovate it," said Torrijos. A bus with license plate 8B-2531 of the Don Bosco route caught fire during a confusing incident, when the bus was being moved by the police and the bus owner, Alfredo Perea, entered the bus through the emergency door. Perea was burned in the face and was taken first to the Policlínica JJ Vallarino and then later was transferred to the Santo Tomás hospital. The National Police say that assured that when an officer took control of the bus to move it out of the road, Perea entered through the emergency door and sprinkled a flammable liquid in order to light the bus on fire. Nevertheless, the other version indicates that the fire took place due to a short circuit caused when the police tried to start the bus with a direct connection. The leader of the transportation union blamed a second lieutenant with the last name of Polo as responsible for the fire.

By Juan Limachi - PANAMA CITY, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Overwork by pilots causes some 70 percent of world's total air accidents, regional Vice Presidentof the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) Maurico Leyva said on Sunday. "The capacity of the human beings has a limit, and in this sense it is not possible to adjust the industrial norms beyond the human capacity," Leyva in an exclusive interview with Xinhua. Scientific researches have concluded that pilots should not work over 10 hours a day, but in some countries this rule is not respected as pilots there are obliged to work 12, 14 or even 16 hours a day, said Leyva. His remarks came after Panama experienced three aerial accidents from May 29 to June 6, during which two helicopters and a light plane crashed at landing. (more)

By Milerick Alvendas for El Siglo - The road leading to the Centennial Bridge, where death watches, claimed its fourth victim in four days. Yesterday, a woman died when the driver of a light truck lost control and the vehicle fell into the gap between the two bridges that cross the railroad tracks, in an accident that also left three others injured. The woman was traveling without documents, the children called her Carmen, and they were traveling in a Nissan Xtrail SUV with license plate 423642, driven by Boris Omar Salvatierra, who was returning from the area of Arraiján after having picked up their maid in the company of his two children, Boris and Jorge Luis Salvatierra, 12 and 3 years old, respectively. (more)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Amazing. This afternoon a woman driving a van apparently fell asleep at the wheel while driving on the road to the Centenario Bridge. She struck the side of the bridge that crosses over the railroad tracks, the van flew through the air and landed on the track, and the driver was killed. While police were at the scene of that accident and recovering the body of the driver, a guy driving a dump truck slammed into a Tropigas truck full of LPG gas tanks, pinning the gas truck against a fire truck. Then, another guy driving a different dump truck, who was driving drunk, slammed his truck into the crowd, sending two cops and a civilian flying off of the bridge and flipping his truck on its side. All of this from "Codigo 4" on channel 13 this stuff. Amazing. I've said it often - the most dangerous thing you'll do in Panama is drive.

La Critica - A "Diablo Rojo" bus with license plate number 3B - 621 that covers the Puerto Escondido - Colón route, lost the back axle, scarring passengers who ran from the bus when the incident occurred. Driver Daniel Betancourt was not speeding (driving at a normal speed) when the incident occurred in Calle 16. The tires on the bus were bald. (Editor's Comment: I've said in the past that here in Panama they take those retired school buses and "drive them until the wheels fall off." This is what I was talking about. I see these kinds of articles about three or four times a year.)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The other day I had to make a run out to the Amador Causeway. On the way out I encountered the scene of a motorcycle accident. Actually, the ambulance had already arrived and the paramedics were in process of loading the victim on the gurney for transport. Apparently the driver was heading out towards the end of the causeway and a raccoon ran out in front on him. Not wanting to strike the raccoon, the driver swerved violently, lost control of his bike, and crashed. The good news - the raccoon was fine. (more)

Local media has been busy lately reporting about a helicopter crash that ocurred in Calidonia. The presumed faulty chopper crashed onto the Banana Price, across the street fom El Machetazo department store during business hours. I've been following the news since the first phoned-in report; so far media has reported four dead. Apparently the chopper belonged to the Servicio Aereo Nacional, codename SAN-100. Parts of the helicopter landed on the street, and fire has erupted.