Thirty-three point seven nautical miles from the intercontinental airport to the Pearl Islands. It is the shortest leg in the Panamanian catalogue, and the other half of a correction we published yesterday. Quoted per aircraft on request.
Route facts
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Tocumen (PTY / MPTO), Panama City |
| Destination | Isla Contadora (OTD / MPCT) |
| Distance | 33.7 NM · 62 km |
| Alternative | Albrook (PAC), 37.2 NM |
| Price | Quoted per aircraft on request |
The original case, now with its own page
This is the destination about which we wrote that it was the only one where Tocumen is nearer than Albrook. It was not: San Blas too.
But the figure remains what we said, and here is where it belongs in full:
| Capital airport | To Contadora |
|---|---|
| Tocumen (PTY) | 33.7 NM |
| Albrook (PAC) | 37.2 NM |
Three point five nautical miles of difference, nine per cent. Less margin than towards San Blas, but in the same direction and for the same reason: both lie east.
The aircraft may need to reposition to the departure aerodrome, and that leg forms part of the quote.
A leg so short the ground weighs more than the air
Thirty-four nautical miles is a few minutes of flying. What decides the day is not the run: it is how you reach the airport.
If you land at Tocumen on an intercontinental, departing from there saves you the twenty kilometres to Albrook. That transfer takes longer than the flight. The aircraft may need to reposition to the departure aerodrome, and that leg forms part of the quote.
If you are already in the city, Albrook is more practical and the three nautical miles do not justify crossing it.
It is the exact inverse of the rule this catalogue has applied since block 21: the longer the sector, the less the departure airport weighs. At this end of the scale, the shorter the sector, the more the ground weighs.
And the ferry is still an honest option
Worth repeating here: Contadora has sea service from Panama City. We confirm the applicable ferry timetable in the quote, because it changes with the date and the operation.
For anyone with time travelling as a pair, that is the reasonable route. Thirty-four nautical miles do not justify a charter except for a group, baggage, or a schedule the boat does not cover.
The flight buys the whole morning, which on a short trip to the Pearls is usually exactly what is missing.
And from here the other ocean's archipelago opens
Contadora is 63.1 nautical miles from Playón Chico, in Guna Yala.
With this route and that one, a Panamanian island trip can be done entirely without setting foot in the city: arrive on the intercontinental, cross to the Pacific, hop to the Caribbean and return. The two archipelagos are precisely the two destinations where Tocumen wins.
Frequently asked questions
Which capital airport suits?
Tocumen: 33.7 nautical miles against Albrook's 37.2. But if you are already in the city, Albrook is more practical. The aircraft may need to reposition to the departure aerodrome, and that leg forms part of the quote.
Was Contadora not the only case?
That is what we published and it was wrong: San Blas is the second. The figure was correct; the scope of the claim was not.
Is flying from Tocumen to Isla Contadora worth it?
There is a ferry from Panama City. For two people with time, that is the route. The flight buys the whole morning. We confirm the applicable ferry timetable in the quote, because it changes with the date and the operation.
Why does the airport matter so much on such a short leg?
Because the ground transfer to Albrook takes longer than the flight. Over thirty-four nautical miles, the ground weighs more than the air.
Can I continue to San Blas?
Contadora is 63.1 nautical miles from Playón Chico: the direct link between the two oceans without returning to the capital.
Does the runway at Isla Contadora limit the aircraft?
The aircraft is decided by your group and your baggage. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.