Case Study: Copa Airlines achieves cost-efficient, on-time operations with IBS Software's AD OPT crew pairing solution

How Copa Airlines uses crew pairing as an operational and strategic planning tool

Copa Airlines, the Panama-based "Hub of the Americas" that operated roughly 350 flights daily pre-pandemic, faced the challenge of balancing crew productivity, regulatory compliance, and staffing buffers to protect on-time performance and control costs. To turn crew pairing into both an operational and strategic planning tool, Copa adopted AD OPT’s crew pairing solution from IBS Software to forecast staffing needs, test scenarios, and ensure legally compliant, efficient schedules.

IBS Software’s AD OPT crew pairing solution enabled Copa to optimize crew requirements, run what-if analyses for new routes or frequency changes, and accurately model cost implications, backed by a partnership dating to 2012 that includes personalized support. The solution helped Copa maintain high operational performance—contributing to on-time performance consistently above 90% and Cirium recognition as Latin America's most on-time airline for seven years—while improving cost control and manpower planning.

Copa Airlines