The CEO of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), José Ricardo Botelho, expressed his “happiness” at the start of the ALTA AGM & Airline Leaders Forum 2024 during the press conference that officially kicked off the event, which is being held from today until Wednesday in Nassau, Bahamas.
“We are happy to be here, with 400 industry leaders, we are proud, we are in a strategic region. This is what ALTA does in the region: foster discussions. There is a strategic agenda, not only private, that must address connectivity, but also the future,” Botelho stated.
He affirmed that “the region has to change, we are the safest operational region in the world, but we need to advance in updating economic regulations. What the sector generates are direct and indirect jobs, there is no place in the world where aviation exists and there is no development.”
“Once a year, we gather at the ALTA Forum to put actions behind words and increase the region’s connectivity,” he remarked.
He further pointed out that “ALTA seeks to educate governments to meet market needs with appropriate regulatory frameworks. The gateway to all destinations is always the ticket price. If laws impact prices, the destination’s effort to attract tourists also suffers.”
Kenneth Romer, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation of the Bahamas noted that they believe they have “an excellent tourism model in the Bahamas, and we want you to feel the same when you leave,” during his media briefing.
“This forum is an opportunity to demonstrate its importance, and it is a fundamental part of our strategy to increase connectivity. It gives us an opportunity to enhance our partnership with ALTA. The Bahamas is a tourism-dependent destination, with 70% of jobs and GDP relying on tourism,” he emphasized.
“For all these reasons, this Forum holds significant value for us. Aviation is key for us, and we promote the growth of the aviation market,” he insisted.
He pointed out that they have “700 islands and 30 airports. We understand that we need to increase connectivity through better agreements. We are looking to connect with the Caribbean, and in the case of Latin America, we are leading the conversation to increase connections.”
He acknowledged that “there are some issues, in some cases political. We have the advantage of being a gateway to the USA, and we have a connectivity plan that includes travel incentives. It is a challenge for us to respond to the demand from Latin America for direct flights, and we will intensify our focus on connection.”
“We are actively working to increase connectivity between Latin America and Africa with the Bahamas,” he noted.
Adrian Neuhauser, CEO of the ABRA Group and chairman of ALTA’s executive committee, highlighted that “we gather once a year to celebrate our industry, we bring business, we bring families together, we boost economies, it’s an incredible industry.”
“We put people in aluminum tubes traveling almost at the speed of sound, kilometers in the air, and we make it seem normal. It’s an opportunity to talk about the benefits and challenges of the industry. The jobs and the needs of the people we serve. We have emerged from the challenging years of COVID, but we still face financial, tax, regulatory, and infrastructure challenges,” he detailed.
Finally, Tracy Cooper, CEO of Bahamas Air, stated that “it’s been a while since ALTA was in the Bahamas, so welcome. We are proud to be part of the organization. We need conferences and colleagues to work together. We are a small operator that has to fight certain regulatory battles and other challenges, and having ALTA’s umbrella to have a voice is an advantage.”
“The Dominican Republic has initiated talks to connect with the Bahamas. There is a supply and demand issue. There are some movements to expand fleets for intra-Caribbean travel. We also need to look at optimizing fleets because some planes are simply too large to meet the demand. About 6-7% of Bahamas’ traffic comes from the USA-Canada, a market of 350 million people,” explained Cooper.
The leaders of the Latin American aviation sector are gathering from today until Wednesday in Nassau for the ALTA AGM & Airline Leaders Forum 2024, with the goal of “boosting economies and connecting cultures, consolidating aviation as a driving force for the growth of Latin America and the Caribbean.”
The event is organized by ALTA, and during its course, topics such as sustainability, technological innovation, competitiveness, and connectivity will be addressed, with a particular focus on the essential role of air cargo in strengthening regional economies.
