Latin America and the Caribbean

IATA's regional office based in Miami and the country offices for Latin America and the Caribbean (LATAM/CAR) are focused on responding to the needs of its member airlines. This includes working with issues such as safety, security, facilitation, profitability, cost reduction and distribution, in addition to promoting IATA’s 2013 Priorities.

IATA maintains close relations with governments, their agencies, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC) , airports, air navigation service providers and regional airline associations.

Air transport is vital in Latin America and the Caribbean

Aviation has great promise in LATAM/CAR. It is a catalyst for growth and development supporting more than 4.6 million jobs and $107 billion in GDP. In 2012 the LATAM/CAR passenger traffic grew by 2012, following robust demand in the region’s major economies. IATA’s Billing Settlement Plan (BSP) figures indicate very positive progress, from 2011 to 2012: 

• BSP Gross Sales showed a 6 % increase
• Electronic tickets issued showed 10.7% increase

In terms of freight, internationally global freight markets contracted in 2012 by -1.5%, while Latin America fell slightly by 1.2%.

Below are LATAM/CAR’s main priorities for 2013:

Safety

The safety performance for LATAM/CAR in 2011 was one accident for every 780,000 flights this was a 32% improvement on 2010 and the trend in 2012 demonstrated an even bigger improvement.

To ensure that we have the best data to help improve safety in the region, IATA and the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) have created a safety trend sharing program.  The partnership is also creating workshops on flight data monitoring, runway safety and fatigue risk management strategies.

Improving safety embraces the entire aviation community. The Regional Aviation Safety Group—Pan America is a good example. It brings together IATA, ALTA, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Airbus, Boeing, States and others to work on a harmonized safety agenda for the region. Its effective work was recently recognized by the Flight Safety Foundation with a lifetime achievement award.

The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) plays an important role in improving safety in the region. There are no IOSA-registered carriers in the region have had a fatal accident in more than four years. IOSA does not guarantee any more accidents; however, the strong safety performance of IOSA carriers is proof to governments that by incorporating IOSA into their safety oversight programs safety standards improve.

Security

The Checkpoint of the Future (CoF) project has been support by 12 civil aviation authorities in the region. The vision is for a hassle free security experience made possible through advanced technology and with the effective use of passenger information which is moving us away from today’s one-size-fits all approach.

In addition to CoF, IATA is working with COPA , TACA and the civil aviation authorities of Panama and El Salvador to develop pilot programs for the first one-stop security schemes outside of Europe. Mutual recognition of standards allows connecting passengers and baggage to forego re-screening, provided they have arrived from a secure location with equivalent security standards.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure development has not kept pace with growing demand. This means that the airlines and passengers must contend with over-crowded, inadequate and inefficient airports. Too many air traffic management providers rely on old equipment and out-of-date procedures, that fail to take advantage of the capabilities of advanced aircraft operated by many airlines.

IATA joined with Airports Council International (ACI) and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO) and ALTA to sign a joint declaration calling for governments in the region to facilitate development of infrastructure. IATA has also set up the Airport Consultative Committee (ACC) at Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos Airport (GRU), Rio de Janeiro (GIG), Lima (LIM) and Antigua (ANU) to address airline operational concerns at these airports and work with the authorities on corrective actions.

The growth of traffic in the LATAM/CAR requires sufficient airspace capacity. ATM delays are nearing crisis levels in many parts of the region. Implementing Performance Based Navigation (PBN) technology continues to be a challenge. There has been some progress, in 2012, IATA in collaboration with COPA and the Costa Rican DGAC implemented the first PBN procedures in Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose (SJO). IATA funded the development, while COPA provided the aircraft testing with validation from the DGAC. There is similar progress in Brazil, Chile and Peru. Further cooperation with authorities is needed to fast track PBN in other parts of the region like Guatemala, Argentina and Colombia.

Environment

The aviation industry in LATAM/CAR is paying close attention to the environment with biofuel testing in commercial flights and sustainability projects that are underway in Brazil, Chile and Mexico. AviancaTaca is making progress with an environmental responsibility program in Colombia: “Beyond Flying”. Copa Airlines has a wingtip technology program in Panama, reducing fuel use and CO2 emissions. LAN Airlines has worked in introducing Required Navigation Performance (RNP) technology in Peru, Chile and Ecuador.

Aviation Solutions

Capitalizing on IATA's global view and strategic role in the aviation industry, IATA provides a wide range of products and services to the industry.  This activity enables IATA to continue to support its members. IATA in Miami also houses the regional IATA Training and Development Institute (ITDI) .  ITDI is a leading provider of global aviation training solutions and professional development programs for the entire aviation value chain.

AeroLatinNewsIndustry News

Is a free digital newspaper, an informative daily summary of air transport news and information on Latin America and the world. To register free of charge visit www.aerolatinnews.com

Latin America’s Aviation Portal

Aviation history and information from  Latin America and The Caribbean regions can be found in www.granportalaviacion.com , there you will find, Aviation Museums by country, airline history and biographies of pioneers by country, aviation statistics from various sources etc.