PANAMA, Sept. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Copa Holdings, S.A. (NYSE: CPA), today released preliminary passenger traffic statistics for August 2012:

For the month of August 2012, Copa Holdings' system-wide passenger traffic (RPM) increased 24.4% year over year, while capacity increased 26.6%.  As a result, system load factor for August 2012 was 73.8%, a 1.3 percentage point decrease when compared to August 2011.

International passenger traffic grew 26.4%, while capacity increased 28.6%.  This resulted in a load factor of 73.5%, a 1.3 percentage point decrease when compared to August 2011.  For the month, International capacity represented 95.6% of total capacity.

Domestic traffic, represented wholly by Colombian domestic service, decreased 6.3%, while capacity decreased 6.0%.  As a result, domestic load factor for the month decreased 0.3 percentage points to 78.7%.  For the month, domestic capacity represented 4.4% of total capacity.

Copa Holdings is a leading Latin American provider of passenger and cargo services.  The Company, through its operating subsidiaries, provides service to 64 destinations in 29 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean with one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the industry, consisting of 80 aircraft: 54 Boeing 737NG aircraft and 26 EMBRAER-190s. For more information visit www.copaair.com.

CPA-G

SOURCE Copa Holdings, S.A.