January 2025 marked a historic start for aviation in Latin America and the Caribbean, with 42.3 million passengers transported, reflecting a 2.4% increase compared to the same month in 2024.

According to a report by the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), this growth was driven by the reactivation of routes, open skies policies, and a rise in international tourism.

Domestic Traffic Fuels Growth

Domestic travel played a crucial role in this surge, accounting for 44% of total growth.

• Brazil led the segment with 8.6 million passengers, a 5.3% increase from the previous year.
• Argentina and Mexico also reported positive figures, demonstrating a strong recovery after months of challenges.

International Traffic Expansion

The intra-regional market grew 10.5%, reaching 5.3 million passengers. Notable connections included:

• Brazil–Chile, up 41%.
• Ecuador–Panama, up 53%.

Meanwhile, extra-regional traffic saw significant gains:

• Flights to Europe increased by 14.6%.
• Flights to North America grew 10.4%, largely driven by the Panama–U.S. route.

Frequencies, Capacity, and Load Factor

The total number of flights in the region reached 345,331, reflecting a 4.8% increase.

Seat capacity reached 53.8 million (+3.6%), with a load factor of 84.7%, up 1.1 points from 2024.

Key International Markets

ALTA highlighted the following international market trends:

• Colombia grew 13.2%, reaching 2.3 million passengers. The Medellín (MDE) – Panama (PTY) route saw a 48% increase in frequencies, while flights to Peru grew 36%, driven by the Medellín (MDE) – Buenos Aires (EZE) route, which doubled its frequencies to 170 flights per month.
• Brazil saw remarkable growth in the Florianópolis (FLN) – Santiago (SCL) route (+57%) and the Brazil–Argentina market (+31% in frequencies). Florianópolis connections with Buenos Aires (AEP) soared 175%, fueled by the entry of a new airline.
• Dominican Republic hit a record 1.8 million international passengers (+3%). The Bogotá (BOG) – Punta Cana (PUJ) route grew 26%, while connections with Panama (PTY) increased by 12%.
• Mexico recorded 5.6 million international passengers (+6%). The Mexico City (MEX) – Dallas (DFW) route grew 28%, while flights to Germany rose 17%, thanks to new routes to Tulum (TQO) and San José del Cabo (SJD), which added 4,844 extra passengers.
• Argentina handled 1.5 million international passengers (+22%), driven by market deregulation and increased competition. Key routes included Tucumán (TUC) – Punta Cana (PUJ) (900+ passengers) and Buenos Aires (AEP) – Lima (LIM) (+116%).
• Chile saw a 17.1% increase, reaching 1.2 million passengers. The Santiago (SCL) – Mendoza (MDZ) route added 110+ frequencies, while connections with Australia grew 50%. A new Santiago (SCL) – Punta Cana (PUJ) route, operated by a Dominican airline, saw 563% growth.

Domestic Market Trends

ALTA also detailed domestic market performance:

• Brazil led in absolute growth, reaching 8.6 million passengers (+5.3%). Key routes:
  • CNF-GRU (+25%)
  • CGH-GRU (+30%), with 361,000+ passengers.
• Colombia carried 2.8 million domestic passengers (+3.5%). The Bogotá (BOG) – Medellín (MDE) route was the busiest (484,000 passengers) despite a 1% drop in frequencies, while Cartagena–Medellín grew 75%, adding 339 additional flights.
• Mexico saw a 5.5% increase, reaching 5.07 million passengers. While Cancún (CUN) saw a 0.7% decline, other airports showed strong growth:
  • Santa Lucía (NLU) (+78%)
  • Monterrey (MTY) (+19.2%)
  • Guadalajara (GDL) (+15%)
• Argentina reported 1.5 million passengers (+7%), with the AEP-IGR route seeing a 60% increase in frequencies.
• Chile declined 2.5%, reaching 1.6 million passengers, though the PMC-PUQ route grew 21%.
• Peru surged 16.4%, reaching 1.4 million passengers.
• Panama saw nearly 40% growth, carrying 41,831 passengers.

ALTA’s Outlook for 2025

ALTA’s outgoing Executive Director, José Ricardo Botelho, emphasized the need to closely monitor sociopolitical factors that could slow growth.

"We must remain vigilant, as sociopolitical factors can slow certain growth processes. However, the outlook for this year remains very positive, with thousands of people working tirelessly to make aviation a stronger and more prosperous sector for the region," Botelho stated in his final address in this role.

"The consolidation of new routes, increasing connectivity, and the industry’s commitment to sustainable development will remain key factors in maintaining this positive trajectory. ALTA will continue working to boost competitiveness and efficiency in the sector, ensuring that Latin America and the Caribbean advance as a global aviation leader."

Download document : Full Air Traffic Report in Latin America and the Caribbean – ALTA – January 2025

AUTOR

Edgardo Gimenez Mazó

Contando la aviación desde marzo del año 2000. Fundador y Managing Editor de Aviacionline.

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