Aer Lingus are among 14 of the region’s carriers attending this year’s Routes Americas in Bogotá, Colombia, alongside Iberia, KLM and Turkish Airlines. This afternoon’s meeting sessions are in full swing.
Speaking for the first time at a Routes event, Juan Carlos Salazar, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization delivered a virtual keynote address
The conference heard that airlines in Latin America and the Caribbean have been working on expanding their networks, growing their fleets, and forming new partnerships with regional and international counterparts to navigate their way back to health post-pandemic but face bureaucratic challenges.
Strong performances from major carriers like Aeromexico, Avianca, and LATAM Airlines Group have contributed to an overall traffic increase of over 28pc in 2023, with most larger markets surpassing pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
Despite improvements, the region’s airlines collectively faced losses of about $600m in 2023, down from $3.9bn in 2022, and are projected to face a $400m loss in 2024, with challenges like unsustainable debt profiles leading to bankruptcy filings.
Key figures in the industry highlighted the complicated and frustrating market conditions with regional differences impacting profitability, while calls were made for more proactive aviation policies to support growth and connectivity across the region.
Discussions at the 2023 ALTA AGM & Airline Leaders Forum in Mexico touched on governmental changes impacting airline planning, the need for liberalization to promote intraregional air travel, and the importance of infrastructure investments and technology adoption to enhance competitiveness and passenger experience.
The region’s focus on liberalization, infrastructure development, and technological advancements, supported by collective efforts from governments, will be crucial for sustainable growth and profitability in Latin American and Caribbean aviation.
ATAM CEO Roberto Alvo told the conference that the airline plans to base its first A321XLRs (for which Aer Lingus is the launch customer) in Lima and initially fly them on routes to the US.
