South America Drives Air Traffic Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, as Mexico Fades
The region accelerated its growth pace with a 3.4% year-over-year increase. Brazil, Argentina, and Peru posted record-breaking figures, while Mexico and Colombia showed mixed performance.
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Air traffic in Latin America and the Caribbean reached 38.3 million passengers in June 2025, representing a 3.4% year-over-year growth, or 1.3 million additional travelers. This data, from the latest report by the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), indicates an acceleration of 0.8 percentage points compared to May. The momentum was largely driven by airlines based in the region, which, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), recorded the highest global traffic growth in June at 7.9%.
The Southern Cone as a Growth Engine
Brazil solidified its position as the most dynamic market, achieving a historic record in domestic traffic for the fourth consecutive month. In June, 8.22 million passengers flew within the country, an 11.2% increase compared to the same month in 2024. This rise occurred amidst deflation in the sector; air transport is the service category with the largest price drop year-to-date (-28% compared to 2024). Domestic connectivity also improved, with 43 routes operating that did not exist in June of the previous year. In the international segment, Brazil grew by 12.8% year-over-year.
Argentina was the market with the highest percentage expansion. Domestic traffic increased by 12% and international traffic by 14%. The total passenger volume surpassed the previous record from June 2019 by 3%. Growth was sustained by key international routes such as Argentina–Brazil (+28%) and Argentina–Colombia (+36%), as well as high-demand domestic routes like Buenos Aires–Iguazú (+40%).
Meanwhile, Peru demonstrated solid performance. Domestic traffic reached a record for a month of June with 1.3 million passengers (+5.2%), while international traffic grew by 8.3%. This performance was accompanied by a reduction in domestic (-1.2%) and international (-2.1%) air ticket prices.
How many passengers flew in LAC in June? 38.3 million, 3.4% more than in June 2024.
Which countries led the growth? Brazil, Argentina, and Peru, all with record-breaking numbers.
How is the year-to-date performance? In the first half of 2025, the region carried 237 million passengers, 3.6% more than in 2024.
What is driving the growth? Primarily, traffic within the region itself which grew by 11.2% in the first half of the year.
Mixed Performance in Mexico and the Andean Region
In contrast, Mexico carried 9.8 million passengers, a slight decrease of 0.4% compared to June 2024. Domestic traffic grew marginally (+0.2%), but international traffic, which accounts for 47% of its market, fell by 1%. Traffic with the United States, its main market, dropped by 2.1%. Although the capacity offered by Mexican airlines (measured in ASKs) remained stable, they allocated a larger share to the international segment.
In Colombia, domestic traffic continues to show weakness, with a 4.7% drop in June, marking five consecutive months of decline. In contrast, international traffic showed strength, growing by 9.2%, driven by connections with Ecuador (+30%), Brazil (+27%), and Peru (+22%). Meanwhile, Chile began to show signs of recovery: its domestic market grew by 4.2% after two months of declines, and the international market increased by 2.5%.
Peter Cerdá, CEO of ALTA, noted that air traffic growth in the region during the first half of 2025 "shows sustained dynamism, with 237 million passengers and an increase of 3.6%." He added that 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.
Caribbean and Central America
Traffic to and from the Caribbean grew by a modest 0.9%. In the Dominican Republic, the sub-region's largest market, traffic increased by 1.2%, despite declines from its two main markets, the US (-1.1%) and Canada (-9%). Growth on routes to Colombia, Panama, and Peru partially offset this trend.
Central America grew by 4.2%, led by Panama, which recorded a 6% increase thanks to connections with Argentina (+38%) and Colombia (+14%).
Capacity (ASK): +4.8%
Demand (RPK): +5.7%
Load Factor: 85.1%
YTD Jan-Jun 2025: 237 million passengers (+3.6% vs. 2024)
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