✈️ Panama MPTO business jet movements +21.3%, leading the Central American business corridor
Avi-Go data shows that from January 1 to June 15, 2026, business jet movements at Panama Tocumen MPTO reached 1,287, an increase of 226 movements over the same period in 2025, a 21.3% gain—far outpacing Costa Rica MROC's 1,960 movements (+6.3%). MPTO traffic is driven by the dual cores of the United States (185 departures, 151 arrivals) and Mexico (182 departures, 180 arrivals), with the two countries combined accounting for nearly half of the departure side; meanwhile, MROC is heavily dependent on a single US market (586 departures, 645 arrivals). By contrast, with its dual-engine US-Mexico structure, Panama demonstrates more balanced and stronger growth momentum within the Central America–North America corridor.
Impact: MPTO's diversified passenger source structure reduces sensitivity to fluctuations in any single market, providing a more robust incremental foundation for FBO ground services and scheduled charter routes than MROC, and constituting a window of opportunity for hub positioning.
Recommendation: It is recommended that FBO operators and charter companies complete an assessment of MPTO's ground service capacity and parking stands before the third quarter of 2026, prioritizing pilot seasonal charter products around the two main US-Mexico passenger flows to seize first-mover positioning at Panama's emerging hub.