Latin America Aviation Outlook 2018: A crop of new low cost carriers continue full steam ahead.

LATIN AMERICAN airlines hold a reasonably positive outlook for 2018 as a crop of new low cost carriers continue full steam ahead in their efforts to stimulate traffic in the region, and larger network airlines balance new competition with their quests to build global network utility.
One of the most closely watched developments in Latin America this year is the launch of Norwegian Air Argentina, whose debut will put to test Argentina's readiness to nurture a competitive low cost environment.
Some of Latin America's more mature low cost airlines are using new-generation narrowbodies on new long haul routes while forging partnerships to ensure a certain level of network coverage. At the same time, proposed JVs among some larger Latin airlines and their alliance partners remain in limbo, and it is tough to predict if any progress will be made in finalising those pacts in 2018.
Most forecasts show Latin America's GDP should grow more than 2% in 2018 as the region's largest country, Brazil, is projected to post economic growth in a similar range. The recovery in Brazil's air traffic has moved somewhat sideways, but the country's passenger traffic increased by 2.8% year-on-year for the 11M ending Nov-2017, after plummeting 7% in 2016.