“Aviation is the safest and most efficient means to transport people, to carry vaccines, organs, essential supplies to where and when they are needed. It is the most efficient means to transport food, merchandise and perishable goods that would otherwise arrive too late when they are already spoiled. Sometimes it is the only way to get people to remote places where there is no other means of transport. We do not have roads connecting countries as in other regions; we have over 700 islands throughout the Caribbean that need connectivity. In Latin America, aviation has long ceased to be a luxury and has become an essential public transport service,” is how José Ricardo Botelho, ALTA’s CEO, defines the role of aviation.
On the occasion of International Civil Aviation Day, the CEO of the Latin American & Caribbean Air Transport Association stresses the role of this industry as an engine of connectivity and dynamizer of economies, whose action has enormous potential in Latin America and the Caribbean. “Currently, aviation connects the region with 1,068 destinations around the world, 42% more than 20 years ago. Aviation makes it possible for 1.5 million tons of high-value goods to reach their destination on time,” says Botelho, who is convinced that aviation makes the region’s development possible.
“This industry triggers an extensive value chain that creates opportunities for everyone, supports nearly 8 million jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean, connects a territory of over 20 million square kilometers through 2208 routes and 490 airports. Between January and October of this year, more than 370 million passengers have been carried, a notable growth compared to the 18 million passengers transported in 1970,” argues ALTA’s CEO.
ALTA celebrates the achievements of civil aviation in the region on its international day and assures that in Latin America and the Caribbean this industry still has many challenges to address, such as important infrastructure needs, high unrelated costs that make air tickets more expensive, exchange rate volatility in our currencies, rising fuel prices, among other challenges that prevent the full development of this powerful industry in LAC.
Accordingly, ALTA has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of all the aspects involved in aviation. A perspective from any person who is part of the region, whose daily life is unavoidably related to an aircraft taking off from any airport in the world. “Together, taking height” aims to be a turning point to show that aviation not only has an impact on passengers or tourism, but on the entire population that somehow consume goods that arrive by aircraft, which has a job supported by this industry directly, indirectly, induced or catalyzed. It is a call to the authorities of the countries in the region to create work bridges in line with State Agendas that promote civil aviation as a partner for development and an engine of the economy. It is a call to users, the general population and even industry collaborators to share the essential role of aviation in society.
