Medios

The signing of a memorandum to establish the foundations of a South American Single Sky marks a new step in regional aviation integration.

The signing of a memorandum to establish the foundations of a South American Single Sky marks a new step in regional aviation integration. ACI-LAC’s study, released in August 2024, reveals that Latin American air connectivity remains 42% below North America and Europe, and 33% lower than Southeast Asia.

The indicator used is annual seat capacity per destination. Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Chile account for most of the region’s connectivity, though integration remains fragmented by agreements such as the Fortaleza Agreement (1996), the Andean Community Decision 582 (1991), and the CLAC Open Skies Agreement (2010).

ACI-LAC had already warned in the Miami Declaration (2023) about the need for a single market “made in Latin America.” Aviation expert Adalberto Febeliano argues that the lack of integration is a matter of public policy, not geography.

The study highlights the limited presence of low-cost carriers (8.3% of intraregional capacity, compared to over 50% in Asia and Europe), the lower share of direct flights (57% versus 89% in Europe), and higher fares. It also points to regulatory hurdles, burdensome authorization processes, and limited airport capacity.

Examples such as Georgia and Morocco, which signed open skies agreements with the EU, show how low-cost carriers’ market share jumped from 14% to over 60% in just over a decade.

Another finding is the heavy reliance on connections: more than 40% of passengers must make a stopover, mainly through six airports (Panama City, Bogotá, Lima, Mexico City, São Paulo, and Santiago).

Rafael Echevarne, ACI-LAC’s Director General, warned in 2025 that liberalization is not just about reaching the fifth freedom of the air, but advancing to the eighth and ninth. Brazil, by enabling the seventh freedom in mixed operations, takes an intermediate step, though full cabotage has not yet been achieved.