Compensation cost recognized for non-vested stock and options awards.

No definition available.

Name:	cpa_CompensationCostRecognizedForNonvestedStockAndOptionsAwards
Namespace Prefix:	cpa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value of non-vested stock award.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	cpa_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Remaining compensation cost, not yet recognized for non-vested stock awards.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cpa_RemainingCompensationCostNotYetRecognizedForNonvestedStockAwards
Namespace Prefix:	cpa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share based payment arrangement expected term.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cpa_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementExpectedTerm
Namespace Prefix:	cpa_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share based payment arrangement vesting period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cpa_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementVestingPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	cpa_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The weighted average remaining contractual life of outstanding share options. [Refer: Weighted average [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 2
-IssueDate 2020-01-01
-Paragraph 45
-Subparagraph d
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IFRS&num=2&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_45_d&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2020-01-01

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_RangeAxis=ifrs-full_BottomOfRangeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_RangeAxis=ifrs-full_TopOfRangeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_TypesOfSharebasedPaymentArrangementsAxis=cpa_TwoThousandSeventeenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Share-based Payments - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions					12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2020	Feb. 28, 2020	Jul. 31, 2019	Feb. 28, 2019	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Disclosure of terms and conditions of share-based payment arrangement [line items]
Share-based compensation expense					$ 5.3	$ 6.1	$ 7.1
Fair value of non-vested stock awards	$ 93.99	$ 93.99	$ 96.46	$ 96.46
Estimated compensation cost for next year					$ 1.9	$ 4.0
Weighted average remaining contractual life					1 year 7 months 6 days	2 years 1 month 6 days
Expected term					10 years
Bottom of range [member]
Disclosure of terms and conditions of share-based payment arrangement [line items]
Vesting period					3 years
Top of range [member]
Disclosure of terms and conditions of share-based payment arrangement [line items]
Vesting period					5 years
2017 [member]
Disclosure of terms and conditions of share-based payment arrangement [line items]
Estimated compensation cost for next year					$ 1.4