CAPA Latin America Aviation & LCCs Summit: Curaçao, 16/17-Sep-2019
The CAPA Latin America Aviation & LCCs Summit in Curaçao on 16/17-Sep-2019 will bring together leaders from across the region to explore the key strategic issues impacting aviation in Latin America. Hosted by Curaçao Airport Partners, CAPA’s Latin America summit returns for a third year and will focus on the regional aviation outlook and issues affecting the region’s LCCs.
Latin America’s aviation industry is undergoing dynamic changes, with improvements to airport and airspace infrastructure and greater operational efficiency for airlines. Airport privatisation processes are underway, the global alliances framework is well established, open access arrangements are in place and regional economies are recovering.
While regional travel demand is buoyant, potential impediments to further growth remain, including infrastructure constraints and high costs.
Against this backdrop, the CAPA Latin America Aviation & LCCs Summit will feature key industry leaders to provide invaluable insights. Attending airlines include Air Antilles, American Airlines, Azul, Copa Airlines, Flybondi, GOL, interCaribbean, LIAT, United Airlines and Winair.
For more information or to register to attend the CAPA Latin America Aviation & LCCs Summit visit the Summit website at laas19.capaevents.com
Copa Airlines keynote a highlight in an uncertain market
Copa Airlines SVP commercial and planning Dennis Cary will deliver a keynote presentation and join a panel on the Latin America Aviation Outlook. Mr Cary will be joined by ALTA executive director and CEO Luis Felipe de Oliveira and American Airlines MD Caribbean Alfredo Gonzalez.
The panellists will examine the uncertainty facing Latin American airlines, including trade disputes, geopolitical issues, currency devaluation and a potential global economic slowdown.
Azul chief revenue officer Abhi Shah will also provide a keynote address and will join a panel to shine a spotlight on Brazil, alongside IATA regional VP for the Americas Peter Cerda, Fraport Brasil COO Sabine Trenk and GOL head of international business development Randall Aguero. The panel will focus on the signs of improvement in Brazil’s domestic market, following a period of significant challenges in 2018.
GOL’s Randall Aguero will return to the stage for an in-depth chat on Brazil’s largest LCC with CAPA Senior Advisor John Thomas.
How do airports grow their portfolios?
Summit host Curaçao Airport Partners, director marketing, air services & tourism development Peggy Croes, will join GRU São Paulo International Airport head of airline business João Pita and Fraport Brasil’s Sabine Trenk for a panel session on air services development.
The airport representatives will share notes on their strategies for growing and developing their route networks.
The region’s airports will also be represented by Salvador Bahia Airport CEO Julio Ribas and Curaçao Airport Holding senior airport operations advisor Giordano Molina, who will join Copa’s Dennis Cary to discuss the main inbound source markets for Latin American tourism and the prospects for future growth.
Latin America's LCCs make their presence felt
Flybondi CEO Sebastian Pereira, Azul’s Abhi Shah and ICF Aviation principal Carlos Ozores will take the stage for an examination of the growth of Latin American LCCs and whether the market can accommodate the influx of new entrants, moderated by CAPA’s senior analyst Americas Lori Ranson.
The potential for LCCs to develop connectivity with point-to-point within the Caribbean will be considered by an expert panel featuring Air Antilles CEO Serge Tsygalnitzky, interCaribbean Airways CEO Trevor Sadler and Winair President & CEO Michael Cleaver and moderated by Aruba Airport Authority N.V. air services development manager Jo-Anne Arends.
Curaçao a growing tourist market for Europeans and Americans
Curaçao is a growing tourist market with an 8% year-on-year increase in visitor arrivals in 2018. The top five source markets for 2018 were the Netherlands, the US, Colombia, Germany and Venezuela. The top growth markets included Colombia (+38%), the US (+20%), Brazil (+23%), Aruba (+13%), Belgium (+12%), Canada (+11%) and the Netherlands (+11%). Hotel occupancy increased 5.8ppts to 77.8% and the destination also recorded growth in average daily room rates and revenue per available room.
Various airlines in the Americas and Europe are expanding their operations to Curaçao in 2019 and 2020. Wingo commenced Bogota-Curaçao service in Apr-2019 and Caribbean Airlines commenced Port of Spain-Curaçao service in early Aug-2019. With the new Trinidad and Tobago route, Caribbean Airlines offers connections to and from destinations including Barbados, Grenada, Guyana and New York.
Curaçao will become United Airlines’ 21st Caribbean island destination with the launch of Newark service in Dec-2019. United last served Curaçao in 2013. Welcoming the route announcement in Aug-2019, Curaçao Tourist Board CEO Paul Pennicook commented: “Curaçao has experienced double-digit growth for several consecutive months now, and with the onset of two large-scale hotel projects with strong US appeal, demand from the northeast continues to grow”.
Air Canada intends to increase Toronto-Curaçao frequency to four times weekly from Dec-2019 and replace Air Canada Rouge with mainline operations on Montréal-Curaçao service, also from Dec-2019.
KLM plans to increase Amsterdam-Sint Maarten-Curaçao-Amsterdam frequency to three times weekly in Jan-2020 and deploy Boeing 787-10 equipment on nonstop Amsterdam-Curaçao service from Mar-2020.
Curaçao Hato International Airport is directly served by 22 airlines and another six carriers via codeshare agreements. The island is connected by nonstop services to 12 destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America and four destinations in North America, with Amsterdam as its gateway to Europe.
Want more information on the Latin America market? Check out these analysis pieces.
Economic decline creates headwinds for Brazil’s domestic airlines
Curacao's Hato airport: solid tourism and a sound network profile
Latin America aviation: LCCs take the lead in mature markets
For more information or to register to attend the CAPA Latin America Aviation & LCCs Summit visit the Summit website at laas19.capaevents.com