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Airbus revealed that, there are at least, 130 routes in Latin America and the Caribe that are not yet served and have a market to be exploited.
Within the framework of Routes Americas 2026, Airbus has presented a revealing x-ray on the state of the industry in the region. Despite sustained growth in the last two decades, European manufacturer identifies critical gap: low intra-regional traffic due to lack of direct connectivity.
The challenge of connectivity: 130 underserved markets
One of the most striking data of the day is the identification of 130 international markets not served within Latin America. These city pairs represent a latent opportunity for airlines seeking to expand their network of international services within the region., which would significantly boost passenger volume.
Airbus shared this map of pending routes,although there is not much detail, allows us to have a general idea of the air future for the region:
Two decades of expansion
The historical analysis presented by Airbus shows an industry that has gained massive scale among 2004 and 2024:
- passenger traffic: Passenger volume has practically tripled in recent years. 20 years.
- Domestic traffic in Latin America grew with a multiplier of x3.5.
- Intra-Latin American traffic increased x3.0 in the same period.
- Long-haul markets such as the Middle East and China (PRC) showed the most explosive growth, with factors of x5.7 and x3.4 respectively.
- Ability (ASKs): The capacity offered (Available Seat Kilometers) has more than doubled globally for the region.
- The capacity within Latin America (Within LatAm) grew by 3.1x.
- Connectivity with North America expanded by 2.3x, consolidating itself as the main international flow.
Central America and the Caribbean
The report highlights that Central America and the Caribbean have far exceeded the levels of trafficking 2019. While the global average growth is +7.3%, This subregion registers an impressive +15.9%.
- Countries with the highest growth: El Salvador leads with a +105%, followed by Guatemala with a +71% with respect to 2019.
- Market drivers: This boom is driven by the leisure sector (leisure), trips to visit family and friends (VFR) and the demand of the diaspora in the US. UU..
Airbus warns that recovery is not uniform, since it depends on political stability, open market policies and the concentration of airlines in each terminal.
This analysis highlights that, although recovery is a fact, The future of the Latin American market depends on the capacity of operators to capitalize on those 130 orphan markets that still require direct connection.
What new routes are missing in the region? I read them in the comments.
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Definitely very interesting data and insights., Latin America is a market with a lot of potential, markets like Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and other countries in the Caribbean and Central America still have connectivity indices that can continue to grow exponentially. !!
That's Peter, Let's hope the industry continues to grow.
international: Quito/Gye – Cartagena, Quito/Gye – Bucaramanga, Quito/Gye – Cucuta, Quito/Gye – Iquitos, Quito/Gye – Manaus, Quito/Gye – Cuzco, Quito/Gye – Peace, Quito/Gye – Holy Cross of the Sierra, Quito/Gye – Monterrey, Quito/Gye – Saint John, Quito/Gye – Aruba, Quito/Gye – Curaçao, Quito/Gye – Porlamar, Quito/Gye – Georgetown, Quito/Gye – Paramaribo, Quito/Gye – cayenne, Quito/Gye – Brasilia, Quito/Gye – Asuncion, Quito/Gye – Montevideo, Quito/Gye – Paris, Quito/Gye – Milan/Rome, Quito/Gye – London, Quito/Gye – Lisboa, Quito/Gye – Istanbul, Quito/Gye – Dubai, Quito/Gye – Doha, Quito/Gye – Shanghai/Beijing, Quito/Gye – Tokyo, Quito/Gye – Singapore, Quito/Gye – Zurich
Some I see with potential, others nothing to see