The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) reported that the strength of the Brazilian domestic market, which is currently the largest in the region, is demonstrated by its first place position among the most frequently flown city-pairs in the region during the first half of 2023. In addition to this leadership, another three routes from the country rank among the top 20 most flown.
As expected, the top spot in all of Latin America goes to the route between Congonhas airport in São Paulo (SP) and Santos Dumont airport in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), the notable «Air Bridge». This stretch is flown almost 20% more than the second place route, Bogotá-Medellín/Rionegro in Colombia, according to our associate media outlet in Brazil, Aeroin.
The other three Brazilian routes in the ranking of the 20 most flown in Latin America also involve the airport in the capital of São Paulo. Flights departing from President Juscelino Kubitschek airport in Brasília (DF), the federal capital, to Congonhas airport is among the top ten routes, according to ALTA’s study for the first half of 2023.
The other two air connections in the ranking are between Congonhas and Salgado Filho International Airport in Porto Alegre (RS), and Tancredo Neves International Airport in Belo Horizonte, in Confins (MG).
The 20 air routes in Latin America and the Caribbean with the most flights in the first half of 2023
- Sao Paulo/Congonhas – Rio de Janeiro/Santos Dumont (Brazil) : 18,768 flights
- Bogotá – Medellín/Rionegro (Colombia): 15,365 flights
- Cancún – Mexico City (Mexico): 13,246 flights
- Bogotá – Cali (Colombia): 11,716 flights
- Belize City – San Pedro (Belize): 11,508 flights
- Bogotá – Cartagena (Colombia): 10,981 flights
- Mexico City – Monterrey (Mexico): 10,506 flights
- Guadalajara – Mexico City (Mexico): 10,164 flights
- Brasília – Sao Paulo/Congonhas (Brazil): 8,962 flights
- Cusco – Lima (Peru): 8,444 flights
- Sao Paulo/Congonhas – Porto Alegre (Brazil): 8,308 flights
- Guayaquil – Quito (Ecuador): 7,890 flights
- Sao Paulo/Congonhas – Belo Horizonte/Confins (Brazil): 7,765 flights
- Belize City – Dangriga (Belize): 7,763 flights
- St. Barthélemy – St. Maarten: 7,551 flights
- Belize City – Placencia (Belize): 7,381 flights
- Barranquilla – Bogotá (Colombia): 7,200 flights
- Mexico City – Tijuana (Mexico): 6,806 flights
- La Paz – Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia): 6,617 flights
- Guadalajara – Tijuana (Mexico): 6,602 flights
According to ALTA, the data demonstrate the reach of the Brazilian domestic market, which, according to ANAC, transported 7.2 million passengers in June, the highest result for that month since 2015.
ALTA’s CEO, Brazilian José Ricardo Botelho, explains that Brazil recovered in domestic traffic, however, it continues to lag behind other markets in the region in the international segment: «Although Brazil is the country that connects with the most regions, Mexico has almost three times the number of international routes. That is, there is still great potential to be explored in our country.»
Comparatively, Brazilian airlines connect 27 countries in 6 different regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific), and have 114 international routes and over 400 domestic ones.
Colombian airlines connect 27 countries in 3 different regions (Latin America, North America, and Europe), with 109 international routes and 105 domestic ones.
Meanwhile, Mexican airlines connect 31 countries in 4 different regions (Latin America, North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific), with 305 international routes and 216 domestic ones.
