Air traffic in Latin America and the Caribbean grew 3.4% in June

In June 2025, air traffic in Latin America and the Caribbean reached 38.3 million passengers, a year-over-year growth of 3.4%, equivalent to 1.3 million additional passengers, accelerating the growth rate by 0.8 percentage points compared to May. 

The trend continues: Brazil, Argentina and Peru lead the growth

Brazil recorded its fourth consecutive record-breaking month in domestic traffic. In June, 8.22 million passengers flew domestically, 11.2% more than in June 2024. Air transport remains the service category with the greatest year-to-date deflation (–28% compared to 2024). Internal connectivity in Brazil continues to improve; in June 2025, 43 routes were operated within Brazil that were not in operation in June 2024, including Viracopos - Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte - Rio de Janeiro (RRJ), and Aracaju - Salvador. In the international segment, Brazil grew 12.8% year-over-year, driven by a 35% increase in international tourist arrivals by air.

Argentina was the market with the highest percentage growth in June, with year-over-year increases of 12% in the domestic segment and 14% in the international segment. Total traffic reached a new all-time high, surpassing the previous record set in June 2019 by 3%. Growth was driven by international markets such as Argentina–Brazil (+28%) and Argentina–Colombia (+36%), and domestic routes such as Buenos Aires–Iguazú (+40%) and Buenos Aires–Neuquén (+37%).

Peru displayed one of the strongest performances in the region. In June, it reached a record domestic traffic for that month, with 1.3 million passengers (up 5.2%), while international traffic grew 8.3%, with strong results in markets such as Colombia (up 22%), Brazil (up 13%), and Mexico (up 7.6%). This growth was accompanied by a year-over-year reduction in prices for both domestic (down 1.2%) and international (down 2.1%) air transport services.

Mexico registers a slight drop in total traffic due to weaker international performance

In Mexico, 9.8 million passengers flew, 0.4% fewer than in June 2024, amid lower consumer confidence, whose index fell 1.1 points compared to May. Domestic traffic grew slightly (+0.2%), while international traffic, which represents 47% of the total, fell 1%. The United States accounted for 73% of Mexico's international traffic and registered a 2.1% decline, driven primarily by a 3.6% drop in passengers carried by US airlines. Traffic growth with Canada (+12.4%) partially offset this contraction. Total capacity offered by Mexican airlines, measured in ASKs, remained relatively stable (+1.5%). However, in June 2025, they allocated a larger proportion to the international segment (45% compared to 43% in June 2024).

Mixed performance in Colombia and Chile: domestic contraction in Colombia and partial recovery in Chile

In Colombia, domestic traffic fell 4.7% in June, marking five consecutive months of decline and a cumulative decline of 2.1% in the first half of the year. Of the top 10 domestic routes (with the exception of Medellín-Cartagena and Medellín-Santa Marta) all showed contractions. In contrast, international traffic grew 9.2%, driven primarily by traffic with neighboring countries Ecuador (+30%), Brazil (+27%), and Peru (+22%). In Chile, domestic traffic grew 4.2% in June, after two consecutive months of decline, while international traffic grew 2.5%.

“Air traffic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean during the first half of 2025 shows sustained dynamism, with 237 million passengers and a 3.6% increase. More than 90% of this net passenger growth came from markets within the region itself, confirming the increasingly active role of aviation in regional integration. During that same period, LAC airlines operated 11.2% more international flights between countries in the region than in the first half of 2024,” said Peter Cerdá, CEO of ALTA.

The Dominican Republic leads the Caribbean, while Panama drives Central America.

Traffic to and from the Caribbean grew 0.9% year-over-year in June, reflecting mixed signals among major markets. In the Dominican Republic, the largest market in the subregion and the eighth largest in LAC, passenger traffic increased 1.2%, despite declines in its two largest markets: the US (–1.1%) and Canada (–9%), which have seen six consecutive months of decline. Growth in Colombia (+10%), Panama (+9%), and Peru (+31%) partially offset this trend, enabling net growth through June 2024.

Air traffic in Central America grew 4.2% year-over-year in June, driven primarily by Panama, which registered a 6% increase, with notable increases in connections with Argentina (+38%), Colombia (+14%), and Brazil (+12%). In contrast, Costa Rica saw marginal growth of 0.9%, amid a context of slower tourism activity. International tourist arrivals by air fell 4.5% in June, with a notable decrease of 4.9% in visitors from the United States, which represents nearly 75% of the total.

Summary of indicators

Capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), grew 4.8%;
demand, in passenger kilometers (RPK), increased 5.7%;
the average load factor was 85.1%;
in the January-June period, air traffic in LAC reached 237 million passengers, representing a 3.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Source: ALTA.