In January 2026, total air passenger traffic to, from, and within Latin America and the Caribbean reached 45.1 million passengers, representing a 6.2% year-on-year increase compared to 2025, equivalent to 2.63 million additional passengers. 82% of net growth was concentrated in intra-regional traffic (domestic + intra-regional international). The number of flights increased 5.2% year-on-year, while capacity measured in seats rose 3.9%. In the international air cargo segment, 307,410 tonnes were transported across the region in January, representing a 1.9% year-on-year increase. Volumes remained concentrated in the region’s largest markets, with Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico accounting for approximately 60% of the total.
Key indicators:
Passenger Market:
Cargo Market:
Air traffic in January 2026: key highlights:
International air cargo – January 2026:
“2026 begins with a 6.2% increase in passenger traffic in Latin America and the Caribbean, reaching 45.1 million travelers in January. Growth was concentrated in domestic and intra-regional traffic, with Brazil accounting for approximately 44% of the regional increase, alongside strong performances in Panama, Argentina, and Colombia. In the cargo segment, growth remained positive, although more moderate and concentrated in certain markets, reflecting differentiated dynamics across the region, with negative variations observed in Colombia and Brazil,” said Peter Cerdá, CEO of ALTA.
The full analysis, including country-level detail, international markets, new routes, and air cargo, is available at:
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:
Intra-regional international traffic: flights between countries within LAC (e.g., Argentina–Brazil or Mexico–Colombia).
Extra-regional international traffic: flights between LAC and other regions of the world, such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, or Africa.
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.
