Air traffic in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) grew 2.3% year-on-year in November

Flight capacity increased 2.0% year-on-year, while total seat capacity grew 2.8%, reflecting a higher deployment of larger aircraft. On average, 160 seats per flight were operated, compared with 159 in November 2024[i]. 

Key Indicators

• Capacity, measured in available seat-kilometers (ASK), increased 3.6% year-on-year.
• Demand, measured in revenue passenger-kilometers (RPK), grew 2.5% year-on-year.
• The average load factor stood at 82.4%.
• In the January–November period, total air traffic in LAC reached 433 million passengers, representing a 3.6% year-on-year increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Panama and Guatemala recorded the highest percentage passenger growth in LAC

In Central America, air traffic to, from, and within the sub-region grew 8.1% year-on-year in November. Panama and Guatemala posted the highest percentage passenger growth rates across Latin America and the Caribbean, at 10.0% and 12.2%, respectively.

In Panama, total traffic reached 1.77 million passengers, up 10% year-on-year. More than 13,300 flights were operated during November, representing a net addition of over 1,200 flights compared with November 2024. Capacity growth was concentrated primarily on routes between Panama and the United States (+13%), Colombia (+12%), Ecuador (+15%), and Argentina (+28%).

In Guatemala, passenger traffic rose 12.2% year-on-year, supported by higher traffic with the United States, which expanded by 18% year-on-year[ii].

Across the rest of the sub-region, Costa Rica recorded 5.0% year-on-year growth, while El Salvador remained broadly stable, with a marginal 0.5% gain. 

Brazil and Argentina led net passenger growth in LAC

Brazil was the largest contributor to net passenger growth in the region in November, adding 798 thousand passengers, equivalent to 7.9% year-on-year growth. The domestic market reached a record high for the ninth consecutive month, up 7.4% year-on-year in November. Over the January–November period, domestic traffic totaled 92 million passengers, placing 2025 on track to become the first year in which Brazil’s domestic market surpasses 100 million passengers. The international market posted 9.6% year-on-year growth. This performance coincided with higher international tourism from South America, which rose 34% year-on-year. Within this flow, international air arrivals from Argentina totaled 114 thousand tourists in November, 56% more than in the same month of 2024[iii].

In Argentina, 2.87 million passengers traveled to, from, and within the country in November, representing 8.7% year-on-year growth. The domestic market was up 4.4%, while the international segment expanded 14.1%, in line with increased regional flight capacity. Notable year-on-year gains were recorded on routes to and from Brazil (+35%), as well as to the Dominican Republic and Panama (+28%).

Marginal growth in Mexico, Colombia, and Peru; contraction in Chile

In Mexico, total air traffic reached 10.3 million passengers in November, a 1.9% year-on-year increase, equivalent to 188 thousand additional passengers. While traffic with the United States, which accounts for more than 60% of the country’s international market, fell 0.5% year-on-year, markets with Canada (+15%) and Colombia (+8%) recorded growth; as a result, Mexico’s total international traffic grew 1.9% year-on-year in November. The domestic market was up 3.3%, with higher passenger volumes to and from Monterrey (+7.3%) and Guadalajara (+10.1%). Within the latter, the Guadalajara–Monterrey (+17%) and Guadalajara–Mérida (+44%) routes stood out.

In Colombia, total air traffic grew 0.4% year-on-year in November. The domestic market rose 1.8%, following three consecutive months of year-on-year declines. For the first time in 2025, domestic passengers originating in Bogotá increased, allowing the overall monthly result to turn positive. By contrast, the international segment declined 1.7% year-on-year, marking the first contraction of the year, associated with lower passenger volumes with the United States (-5%) and Spain (-11.8%).

In Peru, total air traffic reached 2.3 million passengers, up 1.6% year-on-year. The domestic market rose 1.4%, totaling 1.3 million passengers, while the international market increased 1.9% year-on-year, with 975 thousand passengers carried.

In Chile, air traffic recorded its weakest performance of 2025, falling 8.2% year-on-year. The domestic market contracted 10.4%, while the international market declined 5.0%. Both segments were affected by a pilot strike at the country’s main carrier, which lasted for approximately one week during the month.

The Dominican Republic leads growth in the Caribbean

In the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic recorded the strongest passenger growth, with 1.53 million passengers transported in November, representing a 5.8% year-on-year increase. This performance was associated with higher flight capacity on routes to and from the United States (+9% year-on-year), as well as growth in markets with Peru (+16%) and Argentina (+45%). By contrast, Jamaica recorded a 53.5% year-on-year decline in air traffic, directly linked to the impact of Hurricane Melissa in late October, which led to the temporary closure of the country’s airports and significantly affected air operations during the period. 

 

“Passenger traffic in Latin America and the Caribbean continues to show positive momentum. While November recorded more moderate growth compared with October, year-to-date results reflect solid performance, with traffic up 3.6% year-on-year, even amid a contraction in traffic between the region and the United States. This outcome underscores the strength of regional air demand, supported primarily by intra-regional traffic, which remains a key driver of connectivity and development,” said Peter Cerdá, CEO of ALTA.

 

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.  

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[i] ALTA. Internal calculations based on Cirium SRS Schedules Analyzer data (accessed January 2026).

[ii] U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration. U.S. International Air Travel Statistics (I-92 data). Available at: https://www.trade.gov/us-international-air-travel-statistics-i-92-data (accessed January 2026).

[iii] Embratur – Instituto Brasileiro de Turismo. Inteligência de Dados. Institutional portal with international tourism statistics and dashboards for the trade. Available at: https://embratur.com.br/para-o-trader/inteligencia-de-dados/ (accessed January 2026).