Dear Colleagues,
The past weeks have been marked by intense activity across the region, with three critical hotspots, Venezuela, Peru, and Brazil, shaping the aviation agenda. In Venezuela, ongoing airspace restrictions have created significant challenges for airlines and passengers. IATA has reiterated that safety must remain the number one priority, urging authorities to respect airlines’ responsibility to make risk-based decisions. Airlines have temporarily suspended flights following safety alerts from the U.S. and Spain but remain committed to restoring connectivity as soon as conditions allow. IATA continues to call for dialogue and timely clarification from Venezuelan authorities to safeguard passenger protection and preserve the country’s links to the world.
In Peru, discussions around the proposed TUUA transfer fee at Jorge Chávez Airport (LIM) have reached the highest levels. President José Jerí has set a tight deadline for a consensual solution, emphasizing the need to protect Peru’s competitiveness and image. IATA, alongside industry stakeholders, is actively engaged to ensure outcomes that avoid harm to airlines and their passengers.
Meanwhile, in Brazil, advocacy efforts intensify against Bill No. 5.041/2025, which threatens to roll back progress by imposing rigid baggage and pricing rules. If enacted, the law would undermine connectivity, affordability, and Brazil’s compliance with international agreements. You can find more details on these and all other regional activities below.
Looking at the latest economic data, October was a strong month for global air travel, with passenger demand up 6.6% year-on-year. North American carriers broke out of a months-long lull, posting 4.5% growth in international traffic, while Latin America continued its impressive momentum with a 7.2% increase. The trans-Atlantic corridor also showed steady improvement, up 3.8% compared to last year. The outlook for the remainder of 2025 is bright: scheduled seat capacity is set to grow 3.6% in November and 4.7% in December, signaling a robust finish to the year. Load factors remain strong across the Americas, reflecting healthy demand and confidence in the market.
On the cargo side, challenges persist. Both North American and Latin American carriers saw a 2.7% year-on-year decline in air cargo demand in October—the weakest performance globally—though capacity edged up slightly (+0.1% in North America, +2.8% in Latin America). Despite these headwinds, the resilience of passenger traffic underscores aviation’s role as a driver of connectivity and economic growth.
Last but not least, we are holding the last Aviation Day of 2025 in El Salvador next week. You can find all event-related materials at the event website and I look forward to seeing many of you at the conference. Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you for your on-going support.
Peter Cerdá
IATA’s Regional Vice President, The Americas
Americas Focus: Archive
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)
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)