Departure
98%
vs 95% ▲ 3
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Enrique Malek International Airport (MPDA/DAV) serves the city of David in Panama's Chiriquí Province, with a long history stretching back to its wartime role defending the Panama Canal. Today it handles scheduled domestic and international flights from Copa Airlines and Air Panama, and offers a substantial hard-surfaced runway well suited to a range of simulated traffic.
Enrique Malek International Airport lies on the southern edge of David, the principal city of Panama's Chiriquí Province, close to the border with Costa Rica. It is named after Enrique Malek, a pioneering pilot and founder of Aerovías Nacionales who, together with Marcos A. Gelabert, is regarded as one of the fathers of Panamanian civil and commercial aviation. For the simulator pilot, the field offers an interesting mix of a substantial international runway, a wartime history tied to the defence of the Panama Canal, and present-day scheduled services from Copa Airlines and Air Panama.
The airport sits about 4 kilometres from downtown David, on the south side of the city, in Chiriquí Province in western Panama. It functions as an international gateway for the region, receiving both domestic and cross-border traffic.
The airfield has two parallel hard-surfaced runways aligned 04/22. The main runway, 04/22, is 8,526 feet long and lit. Alongside it runs a shorter parallel runway, also designated 04L/22R, measuring 5,988 feet and likewise lit. There is no ILS available. Field elevation is 52 feet.
Air traffic in the area is worked on Panama Control (ACC) on 133 MHz. Approach control is provided by Panama Approach on 119.7 MHz. On the ground, Enrique Malek uses 121.7 MHz, with the tower operating as Malek Tower on 118.7 MHz.
The airfield's origins date to 1941, when it was established under an agreement between the United States and Panama, initially as a landing strip, before being formally created as an airport in 1942 under a further treaty to help defend the Panama Canal during the Second World War. Known during the war as David Field or San Jose Field, it operated as an auxiliary of Howard Field near Panama City and hosted several United States Army Air Forces units engaged largely in training and reconnaissance flights along the Pacific coast, ranging from Honduras in the north to Peru in the south. Units based there included the 397th Bombardment Squadron flying B-18 Bolos and B-17 Flying Fortresses from December 1941, the 45th Bombardment Squadron with LB-30/B-24A Liberators from November 1942, and the 3d Bombardment Squadron flying B-17s across several periods between 1943 and 1945. The field was later renamed for pilot Enrique Malek, and administration passed to Tocumen S.A. in January 2014. The runway was extended from 2,100 to 2,600 metres, beginning in 2010, alongside a new terminal and expanded ramp and fuelling facilities.
Enrique Malek International Airport today handles scheduled flights linking David with Panama City, with Air Panama operating to Marcos A. Gelabert Airport and Copa Airlines to Tocumen International Airport. Plans announced in December 2025 point to the introduction of international service to San José, Costa Rica, to be flown by Air Panama using Dash-8-Q400 aircraft from 2026. The airport's infrastructure was substantially rebuilt in the 2008 to 2010 period, including a new terminal, expanded ramp space and refreshed fuelling facilities to accompany the lengthened main runway.