Latin America aviation: LCCs take the lead in mature markets

Low cost airlines now hold commanding domestic market shares in Latin America's two largest aviation markets - Brazil and Mexico. GOL is the leading domestic airline in Brazil, and the ULCC Volaris is now Mexico's largest domestic airline measured by passengers carried.

It is no coincidence that those markets have the most developed low cost sectors in Latin America.

GOL made its debut in 2001 and Volaris is 14 years old. Each airline has had more than a decade to stimulate traffic in two countries that boast some of the largest passenger bases in Latin America.

Outside Brazil and Mexico there is no shortage of low cost start-ups in other markets; but it remains to be seen whether LCCs can achieve the same level of scale as GOL and Volaris in Argentina, Chile and Colombia.