But Latin American's full service airlines could be performing better, particularly in the mission to unlock top line revenue improvements. What are the strategies the region's airlines should be adopting, based on best practice from other regions and other sectors? Can they better leverage data, loyalty, distribution and ancillaries to produce better revenue outcomes and thereby drive improving profitability?
Meanwhile a crop of new low cost carriers continue full steam ahead, opening up exciting new markets in their efforts to stimulate traffic in the region. But like their full service counterparts, they too face their own hurdles, with infrastructure constraints, high costs and an underbanked population potential stumbling blocks to further growth.
The CAPA Latin America Aviation & LCCs Summit, returning for a third year, attempted to tap into the latest industry issues and developments, challenging leaders of the Latin American aviation industry to reflect on what is needed to drive the industry forward.
The event, hosted at the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort Curaçao, brought together hundreds of aviation and travel executives from airlines, airports and suppliers to explore relevant issues, as well as the commercial and operational pillars underpinning strategic decision making at local and international carriers.
Here's full coverage of the panel sessions from the event.
Latin America aviation outlook: uncertainty blankets the future
Moderator: ICF Aviation, Principal, Carlos Ozores
Panel: ALTA, Executive Director & CEO, Luis Felipe de Oliveira; American Airlines, MD of Caribbean, Alfredo Gonzalez; Copa Airlines, SVP Commercial & Planning, Dennis Cary; IATA, Regional VP The Americas, Peter Cerdá
How can LCCs work with other travel suppliers to grow the travel pie?
Moderator: TravelSky, Director Marketing and Sales Quick PRS, Lars Gaebler
Panel: Despegar, Air Regional Manager, Paula Cristi; Expedia Group, Vice President, Global Air Platform, Julie Kyse; Kiwi.com, Head of Airline Partnerships, Marco van Ieperen; UATP, Director, Sales Implementations, Robson Rodrigues
What's driving travel and tourism demand? The role of air services partnerships
Moderator: ALTA, Executive Director & CEO, Luis Felipe de Oliveira
Panel: Copa Airlines, SVP Commercial & Planning, Dennis Cary; Curaçao Airport Holding, Senior Airport Operations Advisor, Giordano Molina; Salvador Bahia Airport, CEO, Julio Ribas
Spotlight on Brazil: Brazil's domestic market seems to be showing signs of improvement
Moderator: IATA, Regional VP The Americas, Peter Cerdá [Download Presentation]
Panel: Azul Brazilian Airlines, Chief Revenue Officer, Abhi Shah; Fraport Brasil, COO, Sabine Trenk; GOL, Head - International Business Development, Randall Saenz Aguero; GRU São Paulo International Airport, Head of Airline Business, João Pita
Driving connectivity within the Caribbean
Moderator: Aruba Airport Authority, Air Service Development Manager, Jo-Anne Meaux Arends
Panel: Air Antilles, CEO, Serge Tsygalnitzky; interCaribbean Airways, CEO, Trevor Sadler; Winair, President & CEO, Michael Cleaver
Air service development: a gathering of ideas
Moderator: APORT S.A., Business Development Director, Alvaro Covarrubias
Panel: Curacao Airport Partners, Director Marketing, Air Service & Tourism Development, Peggy Croes; El Dorado International Airport, Director Aviation Marketing, Stéphane Marcoux; Fraport Brasil, COO, Sabine Trenk; GRU São Paulo International Airport, Head of Airline Business, João Pita