Speaking at the ALTA AGM Conference, Airlines for America (A4A) SVP Keith Glatz celebrated robust passenger and cargo growth in Latin America but issued a stark warning that «systematic challenges» and «discriminatory» fees in key markets are threatening future expansion.
Senior Vice President of International Affairs for A4A, stated that while U.S. carriers are «planning for continued growth» in the region, that optimism «hinges tremendously» on addressing anti-competitive and illegal practices in Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia.
A4A, which represents over 90% of U.S. passenger and cargo traffic—including carriers like American, Delta, United, JetBlue, FedEx, and UPS—is «announcing today a redoubling of our efforts and resources over the next three years in this part of the hemisphere» to combat these issues.
He detailed A4A members’ significant footprint in the three key markets:
Total: 246 weekly passenger flights
Colombia: 118 weekly flights
Brazil: 93 weekly flights
Argentina: 35 weekly flights
On the cargo side, A4A carriers moved over 300,000 tons to and from these three nations in the past year. «These are truly impressive numbers,» Glatz said, «and underscore the value and importance we as an industry place in the region.»…
