Latin America and the Caribbean’s air transport market maintained its recovery momentum into 2026, building on a solid 2025 in which regional traffic rose 3.8% year over year, according to industry data released by ALTA.
Capacity trends in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026 underscore a market that is still expanding. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows Brazil remains the region’s largest market by departure seats, growing 6.1% year on year in Q1 2026 to 37 million seats. Mexico, the second-largest market, expanded more modestly at 3.2% to 29.4 million seats, while Colombia rose 3.3% to 16.4 million seats.
Argentina posted a stronger 7.9% increase, while Panama and Costa Rica recorded double-digit gains of 12.4% and 13.9%, respectively—highlighting continued strength in hub-driven and leisure-oriented markets. By contrast, Chile contracted 5.4% year over year and Puerto Rico fell 4.3%, pointing to pockets of softness amid broader regional growth.
More News And Analysis From Routes Americas 2026
At an airline level, LATAM Airlines Group retained its position as the region’s largest operator, increasing seats 6.5% year over year in Q1 to 26.8 million. Brazil’s GOL expanded 11.9%, while Copa Airlines grew 14.4%.
JetSMART posted the fastest growth among the largest carriers, with capacity up 23.1% year on year to 4.8 million seats, reflecting continued network expansion across Chile, Argentina and Peru. Mexico-based Viva and Volaris also grew, up 7.2% and 3.4%, respectively.
Bogota remains the region’s busiest gateway, rising from 7.16 million departure seats in Q1 2025 to 7.51 million in Q1 2026. São Paulo Guarulhos and Mexico City Juarez followed, both posting year-on-year gains.
Related Content
