PANAMA CITY — Boeing secured an order to sell 61 single-aisle 737 jetliners to Panama’s Copa Airlines in a deal valued at $6.6 billion, the largest commercial transaction between companies from the two nations as President Barack Obama attends a political summit in the Central American nation.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 planes will help Copa upgrade its existing fleet of older 737 models, the airline said Friday in a statement. For Boeing, the transaction would more than double sales of 737 Max planes this year.
The announcement was made as Boeing and Obama look to Latin America to boost their fortunes. Obama lauded the deal at a signing ceremony in Panama for the Summit of the Americas.
Obama and Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela stood behind executives from Boeing, Copa and General Electric’s aerospace unit as the order was signed. While they made no formal remarks, they chatted with attendees about the jobs effect of the deal.
The Max 8, the most popular of three versions of the new plane, has a catalog price of $106.9 million, according to Boeing’s website. The $6.6 billion figure is based on list prices, although airlines usually get a discount.
“Latin America is a really important region for Boeing,” spokesman Jim Proulx said. “We definitely want to play a role in providing the airplanes to support their growth.”
