News

The expansion of the Panama metro took a major step forward recently with the opening of the connection to Tocumen International Airport.

The $152 million project will make Panama City the first city in Central America to have a metro connection between the city center and its main international airport, said Panama Metro general director Hector Ortega. It is also a signal that Panama City is becoming a truly international capital, as well as a city where projects are completed.

The 2-kilometer expansion connects the Corredor Sur station with the ITSE technical institute and the airport. The first line was completed in 2014 and Line 2 opened in 2019, and the metro is now an integral part of getting around the city for thousands of people a day.

Meanwhile, the government has also announced a 20-year loan deal worth nearly $626 million with the Japanese government to continue work on Line 3, which will span the Panama Canal and connect Panama City to the west.

Line 3 will be a monorail-style train and extend 17 miles, which is expected to spark a new wave of interest in properties along the western coast. The project is also a big source of jobs and economic activity within Panama.

The project’s employment spillover effects will be felt “not only in Panama Oeste but throughout the country,” Finance Minister Hector Alexander said in a statement. He also praised the deal’s positive contribution to Panama’s efforts to mitigate climate change.