Panama-based air carrier Copa Airlines has officially begun service between Panama and Belize.

The airline’s first flight from Panama to Belize arrived on Tuesday carrying 92 passengers.

Belize becomes Copa’s seventh destination in Central America.

“For COPA Airlines this is a very proud moment for us to begin operations in this new destination with which we consolidate our leadership in the region, flying to all the countries in Central America and in this fortifying the connection that Hub de Las Americas in Panama City offers,” said Pedro Heilbron, executive president for Copa Airlines. “”With our flight to Belize we expect to amplify the opportunities of development in the business and tourism sectors in this city, while improving in an important manner the connectivity of the country to Latin America.”

The Panama-Belize flights will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays, taking about 2 hours and 20 minutes each way.

“”Though our strongest market remains North America, we see the need to expand our reach southward, as a part of the long term strategy towards diversification, as charted in our National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan,” said Belize Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia Jr. “As a result, COPA and Belize have partnered and have committed to investing the essential time and resources needed to develop an invaluable relationship, which will serve as the catalyst for attracting South American tourists to Belize, and in turn result in the expansion of Belize’s tourism industry.”