Americas region

Collaborative decisions vital to progress in the Americas

Airlines need a seat at the table when Latin American governments discuss aviation-related matters, says Peter Cerdá, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas.

Many countries in the region welcomed a strong recovery in air travel in 2021, especially in domestic traffi c. But, Peter Cerdá warned, “that doesn’t mean we can turn back the clock to 2019.

Governments and industry partners cannot go back to old habits. The industry’s recovery will be derailed if we get new taxes, higher costs, and restrictive regulations.”

Cash cows

In 2022, IATA projects a combined loss of $3.7 billion for carriers in Latin America and the Caribbean. This compares with a $500 million defi cit in 2019.

Throughout the pandemic, not a single airline in the region received direct fi nancial support from its government. The only relief came from tax and fee deferrals. Unsurprisingly, several airlines went into Chapter 11 and others simply ceased to exist.

Yet, just as the recovery in air travel gains momentum, there are multiple examples of governments and stakeholders in the aviation value chain looking to resume their exploitation of airlines as cash cows.

“Instead of encouraging travel and tourism, these measures will have the opposite eff ect,” says Cerdá.

Consumer protection

Regulations, particularly in the area of consumer protection, could also dampen demand at a crucial period in the recovery.

Cerdá insists that IATA does not question the merit of consumer protection, but airlines need to be able to provide input into the decision-making process. so that rules are justifi ed and respect the complexity of the operating environment.

Brazil has long been the worst off ender with its “presumed moral damage,” which essentially turned litigation against airlines into a judicial commodity. Even though the situation has changed somewhat with Brazil accepting the tenets of the Montreal Convention, lawsuits in the country are still at eye-watering levels.

Rules that take little account of airline costs and operating procedures can be seen throughout the region. In Chile, it is now possible to change the name on a ticket for domestic fl ights. In Argentina, protectionist policies are coming to the fore resulting in new fare bands for domestic travel and a monopoly ground services provider controlled by government.

Sustainability

Another area that needs fresh thinking from governments is sustainability, most notably in the area of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

Even though the industry, including all the IATA members based in Latin America and the Caribbean, has committed to a net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050, there are no regular, scheduled fl ights taking off from the region that use a SAF blend. And there is no signifi cant infrastructure in place that makes it a likely prospect in the short term.

“Again, we have to get governments on board and explain why SAF are so vital to the industry’s future,” says Cerdá. “They need to build the right infrastructure and support production and distribution through carefully targeted incentives. There is a unique opportunity in this region to be a major SAF supplier.”

Certainly, the demand will be there. Aside

“We have to get governments on board and explain why SAF are so vital to the industry’s future”

Peter Cerdá, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas

from the industry target, Aeromexico, Azul, GOL, and LATAM are among the airlines that are determined to meet self-imposed, challenging sustainability goals.

Viable transport

Cerdá points out that the social and economic benefi ts of aviation should spur on governments in the region. Pre-pandemic, the industry supported $1.29 trillion in GDP and 16.4 million jobs across the continent. Air transport was also vital during the crisis, repatriating citizens and fl ying in vital medicines and equipment.

Not only this, but aviation is also the sole viable transportation mode for intra-regional connectivity. Highways are scarce in the region and the same goes for rail. Countries are large and long with the Andes forming a formidable barrier. Air travel is a safe, reliable, cost-eff ective, and relatively quick form of transport.

The importance of this can be seen in the changing nature of regional networks. In countries including Chile, Mexico, and Colombia, most traffi c was funneled through the key hubs. That trend is now fast disappearing as point-to-point connectivity to secondary and tertiary cities take hold. Alongside this, there is a need to ensure that the required airport infrastructure is provided at reasonable costs so that the industry is ready to accommodate the projected post-pandemic growth. The issue is most acute in Lima, along with Bogota and Mexico City. Overall, attitudes toward aviation vary greatly. Business-friendly environments exist in such countries as Barbados, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama. Mexico, for example, never closed down air travel and domestic fi gures for 2021 surpassed 2019. In contrast, the current government in Argentina is planning to roll back the aviation deregulation introduced by its predecessor.

More recent elections in several countries across the region have followed a similar trend in bringing about a shift from open market politics to more restrictive business policies. In 2022, elections in Brazil and Colombia could well aff ect the future of regional aviation.

“Aviation has to be high on the regional agenda,” concludes Cerdá. “There is a strong interest in intra-regional connectivity and in Latin America and the Caribbean from all other regions. Domestic numbers will likely reach 2019 levels in 2022 and international traffi c is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2024, earlier in some key markets. Clearly, the demand is there.

“But 2019 traffi c numbers cannot be the metric we aspire to. We do not want an industry that makes a loss or airlines that cannot compete in a fair and transparent manner. Smarter regulation and a keen eye on costs will help airlines resume their vital role in social and economic development. If we work together, we can ensure the region is competitive in the new, post-COVID world.”

Building a Sustainable Future Together, the IATA Wings of Change Americas event, will be held in Santiago, Chile on April 6-7.

Taxation of the airline industry

In Suriname, the sales tax increased from 8% to 12% with a rise in the airport facility fee also expected Argentina added an additional tax on all international tickets sold locally in Pesos and increased the international departure tax Mexico City’s airport use fee is increasing 6% for domestic and international fl ights Costa Rican fees have gone up 7% Saint Martin is proposing to convert the current mandatory COVID-19 insurance for tourists of $30 into a permanent charge