Which Panama Airport is best to fly or closest to City?

Tocumen Airport (PTY) or Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport (PAC)

Quick Jump links to Panama Airports

Two airports serve Panama City, the capital of Panama; Tocumen Airport (PTY) and Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport (PAC). We summarize all the information you need about the airports to make your next trip easy.

Tocumen Airport is a bigger airport compared to PAC, it is an international airport and home to Copa Airlines with domestic and international flights to and from North, South and Central America, The Caribbean, and to some some Asian and European cities.

Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport is another international airport serving the Panama city, it is a smaller airport but handles domestic and international flights to and from Panama. Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport is the closest to the city centre.

Tocumen Airport Vs. Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport

Tocumen Airport (PTY)

Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport (PAC)

    Tocumen Airport (PTY) Albrook
Airport Maps Tocumen Airport (PTY) Map Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport (PAC) Map

Getting To The Airports From The City Centre

Distance from City Centre 12.4 miles(20 kilometres) 4.3 miles(7 kilometres)
Public Transport Operating Hours 24-hours Shuttle From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm 24-hours.
Train

N/A

Metro De Panama
Line 1 runs from the airport to the city centre every hour.
Fare: $1
Journey time: 11 minutes

http://www.elmetrodepanama.com

Airport Shuttle

Tourism Authority of Panama offer free shuttle bus service to the Metromall Shopping Center every 30 minutes.

Fare: FREE
Journey time: 45 minutes

Tocumen Airport Shuttle

Panama One, Pineapple Shuttle, Easy Ride, Panama Pelican
Airport transfer, Your Man In Panama, Panama Your Way, Panatraslados, Clear Vision, and GC Group offer on-demand Shuttle buses from the airport to the city centre. Book from their websites.

Fare: $9-$90
Journey time: 45 minutes

Panama Pelican | Airport Transfers


Panama Pelican
Airport transfer and Panama One offers on-demand services.

Fare:$75-$90
Journey time: 10 minutes

Panama Pelican | Airport Transfers

http://panama-one.com/rates

Bus N/A N/A
Taxi

Around $20 - $25,
Journey time: 15 minutes.

Around $16 - $20,
Journey time: 6 minutes.

Uber

Available on demand from $13-$17

Uber fare estimator

Available on demand from $4-$5.

Uber fare estimator

   

Which Airport Is Most Suitable For Me?

How Close to City Centre?

Tocumen Airport is the farthest to the city centre, it is 20 kilometres to Panama City where all its top attractions are located. The journey to the city centre takes about 15 minutes from the airport.

Tocumen Airport is the main airport in Panama and handles over 15.6 million passengers annually with domestic and international flights to Panama, other parts of Europe and Asia.

PTY Airport is connected to other parts of Panama by road, buses, shuttles, taxis, and car hire services.

There are also good hotels around the airport and the city for travellers to spend the night.

Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport is another international airport to PTY. The airport
Is located in the centre of Panama City and is 7 kilometres from the city centre by road.

PAC also handles domestic flights within the country and it has the facilities to also handle international flights to other parts of central America.

The airport is the closest to Panama city. The fastest journey from the airport to the city centre takes about 6 minutes using taxis. The airport is mostly served by low-cost airlines.

PAC is connected to other parts of Panama by buses, trains, car hire and taxi services.

Cost Factor

PTY is Panama's main airport serving the the countries capital city. The airport handles over 15.6 million passengers annually.

It is far from the city centre at 20 kilometres, but it has good public transport system, like buses, car hire, and taxi services to take travellers into the city centre fast.

The fastest means of transport is by taxis which takes about 15 minutes.

Hotel cost is more expensive compared to PAC airport. But car hire servicea price are comparable at both airports.

This airport is cheaper and a good choice for travellers who want to enjoy good airport facilities, but travellers can use this airport only when they get a good flight deal.

Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport is the another airport serving Panama city. It is the closest to the city centre in Panama City at 7 kilometres by road. PAC Airport is situated in the center of Panama City in Panama. A trip from PAC airport to Panama city using the fastest means of transportation takes about 6 minutes, which is by taxi.

The airport handles over289,197 thousand passengers annually and is home to Air Panama which handles flights around Panama and other parts of Central America.

Public transportation from the airport to the city centre is very affordable for travellers like taxi, subway, car hire and bus services.

The cost of flight fares at the airport is lower and in some cases comparable to Tocumen Airport. Also, car hire is same for PAC as that of PTY.

Travellers can use this airport for a faster trip to the city centre, but the airport does not really have enough facilities to make your journey worth the while.

Airport Delays

Avg Security & Immigration Delays: High

Avg Flight Arrival Delays: 30 minutes.

Avg Security & Immigration Delays: Low

Avg Flight Arrival Delays: 15 minutes

Flight Fares From 01-01-2019 Searched on 02-01-2018

Flight Fares From Mexico City $484, Toronto-Pearson $262, Miami $210, San Jose (CR) $145, and Frankfurt $566. From Bocas Del Toro $134, Puerto Obaldia $134, David $129, and Armenia $477.

Hotel Prices Per Day From (01-12-2018 to 02-12-2018) Searched on 23-11-2018

Hotel

Crowne Plaza Panama Airport (4-Star) -$130

Express Inn Panama International Airport Hostel (1.5-star) -$50

Riande Aeropuerto Hotel & Casino (4-Star) - $118.

Wyndham Panama Albrook Mall (4-Star)- $128

DOS PALMITOS B&B (3-Star) - $72

The Balboa Inn (3-Star) - $46.

Car Hire Prices Per Week (01-12-2018 to 07-12-2018)

Car Hire

Budget Cars: (Kia Picanto, Hyundai I10): $34.69-$58.26,

Intermediate Cars: (Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Avensis, Chevrolet Cobalt): $31.19-$87.30

Budget Cars: (Kia Picanto): $36.69-$58.30

Intermediate Cars: (Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Avensis, Chevrolet Cobalt): $41.69-$87.30

Car Hire Companies

Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, Mex, National, Sixt, and Thrifty.

Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Mex, National, and Thrifty.

Online car hire Car Hire Tocumen Airport (PTY) Car Hire Albrook

Airport Facilities

Shopping and Dining Viena Snacks,Aeromeals, Subway, Chester's, Domino's, Teriyaki, Carl's Jr., Naturally Fast, Quiznos, Cinnabon, Tierra Firme, Air Magaritaville Panama, Attenza, La Riviera, MAC, Polo Ralph Lauren, Melissa, Kate Spade, Mirage, Duty-Free Americas, Super Deportes, MNG, Ben Betesh, Brooks Brothers, Lacoste, Columbia Sportswear company, Faconnable, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tommy Hilfiger, NAutica, Hermont & Blaine, Burberry, Liquid, Crocs, Sawrovski, BVLGARI, Pandora, Mont Blanc, and many gift shops, electronic stores, jewelry shops and many more. There is a vending machine located outside the gate area of the main terminal, restaurants and coffee shops are also available outside the main terminal of the airport.
Lounges Copa Club and Tocumen Royal Saloon. N/A
Wi-Fi Services Free unlimited Wi-Fi available for 2 hours, after which you have to pay for by the hour up to 24 hours. N/A
Transfer in and Around The Airport The airport has a single Terminal building T1. T1 is the only passenger terminal, as T2 is still under construction. Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport has a single terminal building. This makes it easy for travellers to move around on foot in the airport.
Currency Exchange & ATM cash Points The National Bank of Panama and Travelex run currency exchange at the airport. The General Bank of Panama, Global Bank, Panama Bank, Savings Bank, National Bank of Panama and many other banks have ATM cash points for cash withdrawal. There is an ATM located in the main terminal building of the airport.
Important phone numbers PTY Airport: +507 238-2700, +507 238-2600, and Lost & Found: +507 238-2938. PAC Airport:+507 316 9000.
Major Operating Airlines

Aeroméxico, Air Canada Rouge, Air China, Air Europa, Air France, American Airlines, American Eagle, Avianca, Avianca Costa Rica, Avianca Ecuador, Avianca El Salvador, Copa Airlines, Copa Airlines Colombia, Delta Air Lines, Iberia, KLM, LASER Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Spirit Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Turpial Airlines, United Airlines, and Venezolana.

Air Panama.
Major Connecting Destinations

San José de Costa Rica, Bogotá, Colombia; Miami, Florida; Cancun, Mexico; Havana, Cuba; São Paulo, Brazil; Mexico City, Mexico; Santiago de Chile, Chile; Lima, Peru; Caracas, Venezuela; Orlando, Florida; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Medellín, Colombia; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Quito, Ecuador; New York, New York; Los Angeles, California; Guatemala City, Guatemala; and Buenos Aires, Argentina

Bahia Piña, Bocas del Toro, Cartí, Changuinola, Chitré, Contadora, Corazón de Jesús, David, El Porvenir, El Real, Garachiné, Isla San José, Jaque, La Palma, Mamitupo, Mulatupo, Pedasí, Playón Chico, Puerto Obaldia, Rio Sidra, Sambú, San Miguel, Tubualá, Tupile, Ustupo, Aguadulce, Colon, Coronado, Farallon, Guararé, Isla Coiba, Islas Secas, Isla Viveros, Mansucum, Rio Hato, Santiago, Armenia (Colombia), Cartagena, Medellín-Córdova, San José (CR) and Roatán.
Tourist Info Centres Information centres are located in the main terminal, ask the front desk for directions. Contact front desk information centre in the main terminal building at the airport for inquiries about tourism in Panama.
Official website http://www.tocumenpanama.aero/index.php https://www.airpanama.com/

PANAMA CITY AIRPORTS

Which Panama City airport is closest to central Panama City?

There are 2 airports that serve Panama City; Tocumen Airport (PTY) and Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport (PAC). The airport closest to central Panama City is Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport just 4.3 miles away, when using the fast Metro De Panama Line 1 train service, you can get into the city centre in 11s minutes. Tocumen Airport is the biggest airport in Panama and is located 12.4 miles away from the city centre in Panama City, the airport does not have a direct train service, so the fastest public transport takes around 45 minutes.

Compare airport distances and transfer times to the center of Panama City by public transport below.

Distance to Central Panama City:

Albrook Airport: 4.3 miles / 7 km
Tocumen Airport:12.4 miles / 20 km

Albrook Airport to Central Panama City Journey Times:

By Train: 11 minutes
By Shuttle: 10 minutes
By Taxi: 6 minutes

Tocumen Airport to Central Panama City Journey Times:

By Shuttle: 45 minutes
By Taxi: 15 minutes

What is the best airport to fly into in Panama City?

The best airport to fly into when travelling to Panama City is Albrook airport, this is so because it is closer to the city centre where passengers can visit the Miraflores Lock at Panama Canal just 7.2 km from the airport. The airports good public transport connection by bus and train is confy and fast enough convey passengers to central Panama city even when travelling with children or a lot of luggage. Albrook has a single terminal and is easy to navigate the terminal, it handles less crowd so you will experience fewer queues and flight delays at the airport.The airport is served by Air Panama with flights to a large number of destinationswithin Panama and South America.

PTY (Tocumen airport) is the primary airport in Panama City and the home to Copa Airlines and many other airlines such as Air Canada Rouge, Air China, Air Europa, Air France, American Airlines, American Eagle, Lufthansa, KLM and many more. Tocumen airport handles both short haul and long haul flights around the world and it is the furthest airport from the city centre in Panama City, this makes journey times longer even when using it's efficient public transport services by shuttle or taxi to Panama city or Panama Canal and other parts of the country. As the main airport, it has a single terminal with the second one under construction but handles more crowd than Albrook airport, so longer queues, and flight delays should be expected.

Is Albrook airport better than PTY?

Albrook airport is generally better than PTY due to its close proximity to the city centre and the ease of getting to the top attractions around Panama city. With just a single terminal, Albrook handles less crowds with fewer delays, less queues and cheaper flight fares. Business travellers will most likely prefer to use this airport to settle in faster than at PTY

Which airport is closest to Panama Canal in Panama City, Panama?

Albrook is literally just beside Miraflores Locks a part of the Panama Canal, an artificial 82 km waterway in Panama connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. The airport is 7.2 km to the Miraflores Locks and the Panamá Regional Bus is the fastest way to travel between the airport and Miraflores Locks with a journey time of 26 minutes. The bus departs hourly and costs $1. You can use Uber which costs around $3-$57 and takes about 8 minutes.

How much does it Cost from Albrook or Tocumen to Central Panama City?

From Albrook Airport by:

Train: Metro De Panama Line 1$1 - http://www.elmetrodepanama.com/ Trains run every hour daily.

Shuttle: $75-$90 -http://panamapelican.com/front/services/airport_transfers Available on demand.

Taxi: $16 - $20 - http://www.panama24.org/Taxis-en-Panama.htm Available 24/7.

Uber: $4-$5- https://www.uber.com/en/gb/ Available on demand.
But Private taxes are cheaper than Airport taxis, here to Book at

From Tocumen Airport by:

Shuttle: $9-$90 -http://panamapelican.com/front/services/airport_transfers Shuttles are available on demand.

Taxi: $20 - $25 - https://www.paginasamarillas.com.pa/empresas/cooperativa-de-transporte-taxis-expreso/panama-15787273Available 24/7.

Uber: $13-$17 - https://www.uber.com/en/gb/ Available on demand.
But Private taxes are cheaper than Airport taxis, here to Book at

How much are Hotels at Albrook and Tocumen Airports?

Hotel prices can vary greatly depending on how far in advance you book, the demand for rooms, and which hotel you book but the prices below will give you a rough idea and you can do further research and hotel booking at https://www.tripindicator.com/hotel.html

Albrook Airport Hotels: From $46 per night
Tocumen Airport Hotels: From $50 per night

How much does car hire cost at Albrook or Tocumen Airports?

All of the airports mentioned offer competitive prices and a range of cars to suit your needs. Prices are based on the type of car, driver age, length of hire, and demand but you can get a rough idea for each airport below.

Albrook Airport Car Rental:
Budget Cars: (Kia Picanto etc): $36.69 per day
Intermediate Cars: (Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Avensis, etc): $41.69 per day
Compare prices here - https://www.tripindicator.com/car-rental.html

Tocumen Airport Car Rental:
Budget Cars: (Kia Picanto, Hyundai I10 etc): $34.69 per day
Intermediate Cars: (Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Avensis, etc): $31.19 per day
Compare Prices here - https://www.tripindicator.com/

What Is The Main International Airport In Panama?

Tocumen International Airport is the main international airport serving Panama City, the capital of Panama.

How Many Terminals Does Tocumen Airport Have?

Tocumen Airport has a singlepassenger terminal- T1. A second terminal-T2 is under construction.

Which Airport Is Closer To The City Centre?

Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport is the closest airport to the city centre at just 7 kilometres and the faster mode of transport is by taxi which takes 6 minutes to get to where all the top attactions are located. It costs $16-$20, buses $75-$90.

What Best Hotels Are Near The Airports?

At PTY, the following hotels are the best for travellers, Crowne Plaza Panama Airport (4-Star) -$130, Express Inn Panama International Airport Hostel (1.5-star) -$50, and Riande Aeropuerto Hotel & Casino (4-Star) - $118. At PAC, Wyndham Panama Albrook Mall (4-Star)- $128, DOS PALMITOS B&B (3-Star) - $72, and The Balboa Inn(3-Star) - $46.

What Things To Do Near Tocumen Airports?

Some of the most see places in Panama City include Miraflores Locks, Amador Causeway, Casco Viejo, Isla Taboga, Panama Viejo, Ancon Hill, and many more.

Tocumen Airport (PTY), Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport (PAC) Terminal Maps

For Tocumen Airport (PTY) Terminal Maps visit https://www.tripindicator.com/pty-tocumen-airport-terminal-map.html

For Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" Airport (PAC) Terminal Maps visit https://www.tripindicator.com/pac-albrook-marcos-a--gelabert-airport-terminal-map.html

 

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