Dear Colleagues,
The 2026 IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro was not only a global gathering of our industry, it was a powerful demonstration of the leadership, influence, and growing importance of airlines from the Americas.
With nearly 1,500 industry leaders, CEOs, government representatives, and media in attendance, the region was firmly at the center of the global aviation dialogue and the event successfully showcased Brazil and the broader Americas on the world stage, underscoring the region’s increasing relevance in shaping the global aviation agenda. All AGM materials are now available on the event's website.
Alongside the AGM, IATA also launched an important global safety campaign, “Save a Life, Not a Bag,” aimed at reinforcing critical passenger behavior during aircraft evacuations. Supported by the FAA and EASA, the campaign highlights the importance of following crew instructions, leaving all belongings behind, and exiting the aircraft quickly in an emergency. It responds to a growing number of incidents where passengers attempt to retrieve cabin baggage during evacuations, actions that can delay escape, increase risks, and ultimately endanger lives. You can download the videos and leaflets for your own use on the website.
In another engagement with the traveling public, IATA and ALTA jointly launched a regional consumer awareness campaign to help passengers across Latin America and the Caribbean identify and avoid fraud related to air travel. With demand expected to surge alongside the FIFA World Cup 2026, the campaign emphasizes that the “best move” starts before purchasing a ticket, encouraging travelers to rely exclusively on official airline channels and authorized agents, while safeguarding personal and financial information.
Shifting gear to the latest industry data, IATA released its updated 2026 Global Outlook for Air Transport at the AGM. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Airline performance remains closely tied to macroeconomic volatility, particularly currency movements amid the energy crisis, with demand remaining price-sensitive and cargo expected to soften. Despite solid operating performance, structural constraints, higher financing costs and limited balance sheet flexibility, continue to weigh on profitability. In 2026, profit per passenger is forecast at $3.50 (down from $5.90 in 2025), while load factor improves to 84.8% (up from 83.4%). Overall, growth is expected to moderate, even as underlying demand remains positive.
North American carriers face more direct exposure to rising fuel costs due to limited hedging, driving faster pricing responses and greater reliance on ancillary revenues. Although profitability remains comparatively strong, higher leverage and labor costs increase sensitivity to shocks. In 2026, profit per passenger is projected at $8.1 (down from $10.8 in 2025), with load factor at 83.3% (up from 82.9%), pointing to a largely price-driven adjustment and widening divergence across business models.
As always, please find below the latest IATA activities across the Americas region. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or suggestions for further follow‑up.
Peter Cerdá
IATA’s Regional Vice President, The Americas
Americas Focus: Archive
2026: 01-2026 (pdf) 02-2026 (pdf) 03-2026 (pdf) 04-2026 (pdf) 05-2026 (pdf)
2025: 01-2025 (pdf) 02-2025 (pdf) 03-2025 (pdf) 04-2025 (pdf) 05-2025 (pdf) 06-2025 (pdf) 07-2025 (pdf) 07-2025 Spanish (pdf) 08-2025 (pdf) 08-2025 Spanish (pdf) 09-2025 (pdf) 09-2025 Spanish (pdf) 10-2025 (pdf) 10-2025 Spanish (pdf) 11-2025 (pdf) 11-2025 spanish (pdf)
2024: 01-2024 (pdf) 02-2024 (pdf) 03-2024 (pdf) 04-2024 (pdf) 05-2024 (pdf) 06-2024 (pdf) 07-2024 (pdf) 08-2024 (pdf) 09-2024 (pdf)
2023: 01-2023 (pdf) 02-2023 (pdf) 03-2023 (pdf) 04-2023 (pdf) 05-2023 (pdf) 06-2023 (pdf) 07-2023 (pdf) 08-2023 (pdf)
2022: 01-2022 (pdf) 02-2022 (pdf) 03-22 (pdf) 04-22 (pdf) 05-22 (pdf) 06-22 (pdf)
2021: 01-2021 (pdf) 02-2021 (pdf) 03-2021 (pdf) 04-2021 (pdf) 05-2021 (pdf) 06-2021 (pdf) 07-2021 (pdf)
2020: 01-2020 (pdf) 02-2020 (pdf) 03-2020 (pdf)
2019: Jan 2019 (pdf) Feb 2019 (pdf) May 2019 (pdf) #04 Version (pdf) #05 Version (pdf) #06 Version (pdf)
2018: Jan 2018 (pdf) Feb 2018 (pdf) Mar 2018 (pdf) Apr 2018 (pdf) May 2018 (pdf) Jun 2018 (pdf)
Jul 2018 (pdf) Aug-Sep 2018 (pdf) Oct-Nov 2018 (pdf) Summary 2018 (pdf)
2017: Q4 2017 (pdf) Q3 2017 (pdf) Q2 2017 (pdf) Q1 2017 (pdf)