PANAMA CITY, Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Copa Holdings, S.A. (NYSE: CPA), today released preliminary passenger traffic statistics for January 2012:

For the month of January 2012, Copa Holdings' system-wide passenger traffic (RPM) increased 20.0%, while capacity increased 20.1%.  System load factor for January 2012 was 79.4%, a 0.1 percentage point decline when compared to January 2011.  

International passenger traffic grew 26.5%, while capacity increased 27.2%.  This resulted in a load factor of 79.1%, a 0.4 percentage point decrease when compared to January 2011.  For the month, International capacity represented 95.0% of total capacity.  

Domestic traffic, represented wholly by Colombian domestic service, decreased 36.8%, while capacity decreased 41.3%.  As a result, domestic load factor for the month increased 6.1 percentage points to 84.8%.  For the month, domestic capacity represented 5.0% 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 59 destinations in 28 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean with one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the industry, consisting of 73 aircraft: 47 Boeing 737NG aircraft and 26 EMBRAER-190s. For more information visit www.copaair.com.

CPA-G

SOURCE Copa Holdings, S.A.