PTY is easy. You simply walk off the plane into the waiting crowd, find a monitor for your next gate, and the walk is most likely less than 10 minutes. No separation of arriving/departing passengers, no security for transit. US-bound departures will have extra security (and liquid confiscation) at the gate.

Having the typical equatorial weather with afternoon showers and a simple airspace and airfield layout, PTY has no complicated weather/capacity issues like NYC. Copa itself sells a lot of 45-minute connections and can manage them well.