In February 2026, total passenger traffic to, from, and within Latin America and the Caribbean reached 39.4 million passengers. This represents a 6.6% year-on-year increase compared to February 2025, equivalent to an additional 2.44 million passengers. Growth was stronger than in January, when traffic rose 6.2%. Total flight supply increased 3.4% year-on-year, while seat capacity expanded by 4.3%.
Key indicators:
Air traffic in February 2026: key highlights:
Of the total, 52.8% were domestic passengers and 47.2% international. Within international traffic, 27% was intraregional (within Latin America and the Caribbean) and 73% extra-regional.
Two out of every three additional passengers traveled on domestic or intraregional routes. Intraregional international traffic grew 12.8%, more than double the domestic growth rate.
Brazil recorded 10.5 million passengers (+9.9% year-on-year), with 18 consecutive months of growth in the domestic market.
Traffic increased 15.5% year-on-year, driven by strong growth between Panama and the United States (+8.3%).
After closing 2025 with a 0.3% decline, traffic between the region and the U.S. grew 1.6% year-on-year in February 2026, marking a second consecutive monthly increase following 0.6% growth in January.
RPKs increased 8.8%, while ASKs rose 5.8%, pushing the load factor to 85.3%, up 2.4 percentage points compared to February 2025.
“Air travel in Latin America and the Caribbean continues to show solid growth, driven primarily by stronger connectivity and demand within the region. In February, two out of every three additional passengers traveled on domestic or intraregional routes. At the same time, demand to and from the United States is recovering, with two consecutive months of growth in a market that accounts for around one in five passengers in the region,” said Peter Cerdá, CEO of ALTA.
The full analysis, including country-level detail, international markets, new routes, and air cargo, is available in the ALTA Traffic Report – February 2026
Glossary: RPK (Revenue Passenger Kilometers): number of paying passengers transported multiplied by the distance flown | ASK (Available Seat Kilometers): number of seats available for sale multiplied by the distance flown | Load Factor: obtained by dividing RPK by ASK.
Methodological Note
In this document, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is defined as the combined total of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. This definition is applied consistently across all regional and international traffic analyses.
Domestic traffic refers to flights operated within the same country. International traffic is classified into two broad segments:
Attorney and Master in Public Policy with more than 10 years of experience in regulatory affairs, government relations, and public policy strategy across Latin America. Currently serves as Head of Government Affairs at the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), leading engagement with governments, regulators, and international organizations to advance policies that strengthen air connectivity and the development of the aviation sector in the region. Brings strong experience in regional regulatory positioning, high-level stakeholder management, and the coordination of complex public policy agendas across multiple countries. Has represented organizations in strategic forums and decision-making processes throughout Latin America. Recognized for building consensus and translating complex regulatory frameworks into initiatives that enhance industry competitiveness and sustainability.
María José has solid experience in strategic communication, reputation management, crisis handling, and institutional positioning for organizations with a global scope. Throughout her career, she has developed 360° communication strategies and media visibility initiatives for companies across various sectors, including energy, financial services, and hospitality, with the goal of strengthening corporate reputation and engagement with key audiences.
Johnny is a Public Accountant graduated from Santa Maria University in Caracas, Venezuela. He has over 30 years of experience in service and manufacturing companies in the Administration, Accounting and Finance areas, leading the implementation of administrative and financial systems and restructuring of the accounting department. In January 2009, he joined ALTA as head of Administration and Finance with the objective of preparing the financial statements and responsible for the external audit, updating internal procedures, controlling assets and coordinating IT services and maintenance, providing forecasting and financial reporting to drive current and long-term profitability.
Carolina is a lawyer, specialized in International Law and Business since 2007. She has worked at Citibank, Asobolsa (as Legal and Administrative Vice President), IATA (as Government Affairs Manager), and more recently has provided consulting services in personal and professional development.
