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Panama’ Copa Airlines has inked a new deal with Brazil’s Azul Brazilian Airlines, which will make it significantly easier to travel between the countries.

The new cooperation agreement will merge the two largest route networks in Latin and South America, according to a Copa press release. The airlines have agreed to code share and link frequent flier programs, allowing Copa customers to “conveniently connect to Azul’s unrivaled domestic network when flying Copa into and out of Brazil,” the company says.

The new deal will also make it easy for Brazilians to connect to Panama. Azul flies to more than 100 destinations in Brazil, 52 of them unserved by other airlines, Copa says.

“This new partnership with Azul reinforces the company’s presence in Brazil as well as expands our connectivity domestically in this important country,” said Copa senior vice present Dennis Cary. “This codeshare agreement also allows us to offer more flight options to major cities in the Brazilian southeastern and northeastern regions to which we currently do not fly.”

The deal also boasts Copa’s development of Panama City as the “Hub of the Americas,” allowing more flights from Azul to connect through Panama City. Flights connecting through Panama City bring huge exposure to the City, and Copa makes it easy to stay over for a short visit.

Adding Brazil’s huge carrier into the Hub will increase the link between Panama and one of South America’s most economic powerhouses. The flights will connect cities throughout Brazil to Panama, “bringing more opportunities and economic development to these cities,” Cary said.

The codeshare agreements will allow passengers to check backs straight through to the destination on connecting flights.  The deal also links “two of the most on-time airlines in the world,” Copa notes.