Colombia and Brazil soar above in Latin American air travel resurgence

Air travel is back with a roar in Latin America and the Caribbean. Passenger traffic from and to the region posted a 7.4 percent annual increase in April 2024 — totaling almost 39 million travelers.

The good regional results show that a recent upward trend still has momentum. 

European planemaker Airbus expects the Latin American air travel fleet to nearly double by 2042, driven by “an average annual real GDP growth of 2.5 percent, an expanding middle class expected to make up two-thirds of the total population, and urbanization projected to reach 86 percent (making it the second most urbanized region after North America).”

Brazil and Colombia were responsible for 40 percent of the total increase in the number of passengers in April, considering both domestic and international flights, according to a new report by the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA). 

Colombia alone accounted for 61 percent of the growth in domestic flights in the region, which increased by around 5 percent compared to April 2023.

With 271,000 additional passengers on these routes, Colombia was the country that recorded the most significant increase in domestic travelers in absolute terms. The route between Bogotá (BOG) and San Andrés (ADZ) stood out with a rise of 66 percent, registering...