Copa Holdings Reports First-Quarter Financial Results | CPA Stock News

PANAMA CITY, May 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copa Holdings1, S.A. (NYSE: CPA), today announced financial results for the first quarter of 2026 (1Q26), reflecting continued industry-leading profitability, disciplined execution, and the resilience of its business model amid a higher jet fuel price environment. Key highlights include: Net profit of US$212.5 million or US$5.16 per share, a 20.5% year‑over‑year increase in earnings per share.Operating margin of 24.6% and net margin of 20.2%, increases of 0.8 and 0.5 percentage points, respectively, compared to 1Q25.Capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew by 14.0% year over year, and passenger traffic in RPMs increased by 15.0%. As a result, load factor increased by 0.8 percentage points to 87.2%.Revenue per available seat mile (RASM) of 11.8 cents, an increase of 2.7% compared to 1Q25.Operating cost per available seat mile (CASM) increased 1.6% year over year to 8.9 cents, while CASM excluding fuel (Ex-fuel CASM) decreased 1.0% to 5.8 cents.The Company ended the quarter with approximately US$1.5 billion in cash, short-term and long-term investments, representing 40% of the last-twelve-months’ revenues.Adjusted Net Debt to EBITDA ratio ended 1Q26 at 0.7 times.The Company repurchased US$45 million worth of shares during the quarter under the Company’s current US$200 million repurchase authorization. This represents approximately 1% of total outstanding shares as of the end of the quarter.In 1Q26, the Company took delivery of 2 Boeing 737-MAX 8 aircraft to end the quarter with a total fleet of 127 aircraft.Copa Airlines had an on-time performance for the quarter of 91.6% and a flight completion factor of 99.7%, once again positioning itself among the very best in the industry. Subsequent events On May 13, 2026, the Board of Directors of Copa Holdings ratified its second dividend payment for the year of US$1.71 per share, payable on June 15, 2026, to shareholders of record as of May 29, 2026.In April, at an event held in Panama, the Company publicly announced a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft order consisting of 40 firm orders and 20 purchase options. Deliveries are expected between 2030 and 2034, supporting long‑term capacity growth while preserving flexibility within the Company’s existing fleet plan.During the second quarter, the Company took delivery of two additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, increasing its total fleet to 129 aircraft. ____________________1 The terms “Copa Holdings” and the “Company” refer to the consolidated entity. The financial information presented in this release, unless otherwise indicated, is presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). See the accompanying reconciliation of non-IFRS financial information to IFRS financial information included in the financial tables section of this earnings release. Unless otherwise stated, all comparisons with prior periods refer to the first quarter of 2025 (1Q25). Full 1Q26 Earnings Release available for download at: ir.copaair.com/financial-information/quarterly-results Conference Call and Webcast The Company will hold its financial results conference call tomorrow at 11am ET (10am local). Details follow: Date:May 14, 2026Time:11:00 AM US ET (10:00 AM Local Time)Join by phone:Click hereWebcast (listen-only):ir.copaair.com/events-and-presentations About Copa Holdings Copa Holdings is a leading Latin American provider of passenger and cargo services. The Company, through its operating subsidiaries, provides service to countries in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. For more information, visit: copaair.com. Investor Relationsinvestor.relations@copaair.com Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements This release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based on current plans, estimates, and expectations, and are not guarantees of future performance. They are based on management’s expectations that involve several business risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. The risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements in this release are among those disclosed in Copa Holdings’ filed disclosure documents and are, therefore, subject to change without prior notice. CPA-G Copa Holdings, S. A. and SubsidiariesConsolidated Operating and Financial Statistics 1Q261Q25% Change4Q25% ChangeRevenue Passengers Carried (000s)4,096 3,512 16.6%3,935 4.1%Revenue Passengers OnBoard (000s)6,007 5,208 15.3%5,834 3.0%RPMs (millions)7,755 6,743 15.0%7,359 5.4%ASMs (millions)8,892 7,801 14.0%8,513 4.5%Load Factor87.2%86.4%0.8 p.p86.4%0.8 p.pYield (US$ Cents)12.9 12.7 1.6%12.4 4.3%PRASM (US$ Cents)11.3 11.0 2.6%10.7 5.2%RASM (US$ Cents)11.8 11.5 2.7%11.3 4.6%CASM (US$ Cents)8.9 8.8 1.6%8.8 0.9%CASM Excl. Fuel (US$ Cents)5.8 5.8 (1.0)%5.9 (2.9)%Fuel Gallons Consumed (millions)102.7 91.0 12.9%98.6 4.1%Avg. Price Per Fuel Gallon (US$)2.73 2.54 7.5%2.50 9.2%Average Length of Haul (miles)1,893 1,920 (1.4)%1,870 1.2%Average Stage Length (miles)1,260 1,260 —%1,236 1.9%Departures43,033 37,829 13.8%41,942 2.6%Block Hours138,479 121,611 13.9%133,488 3.7%Average Aircraft Utilization (hours)12.2 12.1 1.3%11.9 3.1% Copa Holdings, S. A. and SubsidiariesConsolidated statement of profit or loss(In US$ thousands) Unaudited Unaudited %Unaudited % 1Q26 1Q25 Change4Q25 ChangeOperating Revenues Passenger revenue 1,004,173 859,025 16.9%913,623 9.9%Cargo and mail revenue 29,760 25,694 15.8%32,036 (7.1%)Other operating revenue 18,490 14,462 27.8%17,228 7.3%Total Operating Revenue 1,052,423 899,181 17.0%962,888 9.3% Operating Expenses Fuel 282,462 232,160 21.7%249,177 13.4%Wages, salaries, benefits and other employees' expenses 137,670 117,517 17.1%137,906 (0.2%)Passenger servicing 28,135 25,024 12.4%27,523 2.2%Airport facilities and handling charges 79,184 65,657 20.6%68,996 14.8%Sales and distribution 54,812 50,261 9.1%55,604 (1.4%)Maintenance, materials and repairs 46,612 39,434 18.2%46,075 1.2%Depreciation and amortization 100,726 86,284 16.7%97,385 3.4%Flight operations 41,104 33,749 21.8%38,413 7.0%Other operating and administrative expenses 23,083 35,274 (34.6%)32,221 (28.4%)Total Operating Expense 793,787 685,360 15.8%753,300 5.4% Operating Profit/(Loss) 258,636 213,822 21.0%209,588 23.4%Operating Margin 24.6% 23.8% 0.8 p.p21.8% 2.8 p.p Non-operating Income (Expense): Finance cost (25,837) (23,233) 11.2%(27,478) (6.0%)Finance income 16,083 15,792 1.8%16,545 (2.8%)Gain (loss) on foreign currency fluctuations 1,518 1,370 10.8%(6,021) nmNet change in fair value of derivatives (1,066) (2,434) (56.2%)178 nmOther non-operating income (expense) (2,279) 1,428 nm(857) 166.0%Total Non-Operating Income/(Expense) (11,581) (7,077) 63.6%(17,633) (34.3%) Profit before taxes 247,054 206,744 19.5%191,955 28.7% Income tax expense (34,588) (29,978) 15.4%(19,332) 78.9% Net Profit/(Loss) 212,467 176,766 20.2%172,623 23.1%Net Margin 20.2% 19.7% 0.5 p.p17.9% 2.3 p.p EPS Basic Earnings Per Share (EPS) 5.16 4.28 20.5%4.18 23.3% Shares used for calculation: Shares for calculation of Basic EPS (000s) 41,183 41,292 -0.3%41,248 -0.2% Copa Holdings, S. A. and SubsidiariesConsolidated statement of financial position(In US$ thousands) March 2026 December 2025ASSETS(Unaudited) (Audited)Cash and cash equivalents374,223 382,554 Short-term investments959,457 955,604 Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments1,333,680 1,338,159 Accounts receivable, net204,725 194,425 Accounts receivable from related parties3,019 3,217 Expendable parts and supplies, net152,247 148,127 Prepaid expenses89,588 55,209 Prepaid income tax4,836 6,172 Other current assets29,291 32,769 483,706 439,919 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS1,817,386 1,778,078 Long-term investments190,157 248,579 Long-term prepaid expenses5,991 5,434 Property and equipment, net4,461,063 4,120,055 Right of use assets279,918 296,761 Intangible, net104,477 104,071 Net defined benefit assets3,157 3,220 Deferred tax assets20,308 19,873 Other Non-Current Assets12,060 6,952 TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS5,077,131 4,804,946 TOTAL ASSETS6,894,517 6,583,024 LIABILITIES Loans and borrowings218,254 172,885 Current portion of lease liability66,901 66,132 Accounts payable210,249 164,320 Accounts payable to related parties1,409 1,333 Air traffic liability750,546 737,616 Frequent flyer deferred revenue160,478 155,584 Taxes Payable81,360 62,931 Accrued expenses payable39,970 66,016 Income tax payable27,122 11,929 Other Current Liabilities9,111 1,361 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES1,565,401 1,440,107 Loans and borrowings long-term1,890,520 1,807,556 Lease Liability241,670 258,383 Deferred tax Liabilities72,940 59,217 Other long-term liabilities250,445 242,337 TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES2,455,575 2,367,494 TOTAL LIABILITIES4,020,976 3,807,600 EQUITY Class A - 34,257,137 issued and 29,861,335 outstanding23,316 23,290 Class B - 10,938,1257,466 7,466 Additional Paid-In Capital221,661 220,190 Treasury Stock(345,147) (300,143)Retained Earnings2,769,716 2,168,911 Net profit212,467 671,648 Other comprehensive loss(15,939) (15,939)TOTAL EQUITY2,873,541 2,775,423 TOTAL EQUITY LIABILITIES6,894,517 6,583,024 Copa Holdings, S. A. and SubsidiariesConsolidated statement of cash flowsFor the three months ended(In US$ thousands) 2026 2025 (Unaudited) (Unaudited)Net cash flow from operating activities 359,710 205,477 Investing activities Net Acquisition of Investments 54,498 (340,191)Net cash flow related to advance payments on aircraft purchase contracts (245,026) (115,130)Acquisition of property and equipment (163,486) (56,216)Proceeds from sale of property and equipment 85 — Acquisition of intangible assets (5,559) (6,515)Cash flow used in investing activities (359,488) (518,052)Financing activities Proceeds from new borrowings 154,605 — Payments on loans and borrowings (31,543) (51,863)Payment of lease liability (16,033) (14,007)Share repurchase (45,004) (3,555)Dividends paid (70,578) (66,493)Cash flow used in financing activities (8,553) (135,918)Net (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (8,331) (448,493)Cash and cash equivalents as of January 1 382,554 613,313 Cash and cash equivalents as ofMarch 31,$374,223 $164,820 Short-term investments 959,457 751,525 Long-term investments 190,157 425,821 Total cash and cash equivalents and investments as ofMarch 31,$1,523,837 $1,342,166 Copa Holdings, S. A. and SubsidiariesNon-IFRS Financial Measures Reconciliation This press release includes the following non-IFRS financial measures: Operating CASM Excluding Fuel and Adjusted Net Debt to EBITDA. This supplemental information is presented because we believe it is a useful indicator of our operating performance and for comparing our performance with other companies in the airline industry. These measures should not be considered in isolation and should be considered together with comparable IFRS measures, in particular operating profit and net profit. The following is a reconciliation of these non-IFRS financial measures to the comparable IFRS measures: Reconciliation of Operating Costs per ASM Excluding Fuel (CASM Excl. Fuel)1Q261Q254Q25 Operating Costs per ASM as Reported (in US$ Cents)8.98.88.8Aircraft Fuel Cost per ASM (in US$ Cents)3.23.02.9Operating Costs per ASM excluding fuel (in US$ Cents)5.85.85.9 Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Debt to EBITDA1Q26 1Q25 4Q25 Net Debt$893,509 $592,934 $718,218 LTM Operating Profit/(Loss) (in US$ thousands)$863,774 $750,788 $818,960LTM Depreciation and amortization (in US$ thousands)$379,579 $333,628 $365,137LTM EBITDA (in US$ thousands)$1,243,353 $1,084,417 $1,184,096 Adjusted Net Debt to EBITDA 0.7 0.5 0.6