Miami Declaration: ACI-LAC calls on governments to take urgent action for air transport liberalization and improved air connectivity

Airports are natural engines of socio-economic and tourism development around the world, triggering net economic benefits for surrounding communities, providing air connectivity to shippers, travelers, and businesses, and ultimately enhancing the competitiveness of countries, regions, and cities.

We believe that the aviation ecosystem in the Latin American and the Caribbean region has much to gain from a liberalized framework that provides airlines the freedom to operate international air services without being burdened by market access restrictions.

To achieve this vision, it is necessary to deploy greater efforts towards the achievement of a fully liberalized framework and a competitive business environment that fosters greater air connectivity in the LAC region and provides airports the tools to further enhance current services, attract new flights and the ability to market themselves to reach their full commercial potential.

While we applaud past and current liberalization initiatives undertaken by individual countries and regional organizations in the Latin America and Caribbean region, we believe that there is much work to be done in the coming years in order to establish a “Made in LAC” single aviation market that brings progress and prosperity to the region, while also competing with more advanced aviation regimes around the world.   

DECLARATION

The Board of Airports Council International – Latin America & Caribbean (ACI-LAC) agrees that urgent and sustained action should be taken on the following:

1. National governments to provide a liberalized (up to 7th freedom for passenger and cargo services), flexible, and transparent regulatory framework for the provision of international air services, with a focus to promote the overall competitiveness of the LAC region.
2. Local governments and competent authorities to provide an attractive doing business environment through the  implementation of smart regulations and effective  policies and administrative processes to support the growth of the aviation sector in the LAC region.
3. National governments to connect their aviation policies to broader transportation and economic policy objectives, including mobility, logistics and tourism policies, while also fostering the development of airport infrastructure to accommodate current and future traffic growth .
4. Governments and the entire aviation ecosystem to consider sustainability aspects in the development of air services within the region, in line with ACI policies, strategies and frameworks.
5. Governments to consult actively and proactively with aviation industry with a view to minimize the regulatory temptation to impose additional administrative and financial burdens on air operators and support new regional services.
6. Industry should serve travelers according to the highest standards of customer experience and local communities should benefit from industry growth.