Airline Investment And Foreign Ownership In Latin America
Latin American flag carriers have often suffered from the dominance of foreign airlines in key markets. US airlines, notably, have secured significant equity holdings and partnerships, in attempting to subdue some of the more difficult elements of competition. This has been possible as several key Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Brazil, Chile and now Argentina have adopted relatively liberal aviation policies. Ownership and control and foreign equity ownership have been significantly relaxed in several cases. Only a small number of states including those of central America have resisted this trend.As the main Latin economies emerge from the difficult times they have experienced in this decade, there is the potential for foreign airlines to establish even stronger ties.
- How do limits on open skies and infrastructure constraints inhibit growth?
- Are Latin American governments likely to pursue liberal market regimes, including market access and foreign ownership?
- What’s the appetite for foreign investment in Latin American airlines, and what is the reality that some of the more restrictive foreign ownership laws could change?
- Are more cross border equity investments likely as partnerships evolve?
- Are there opportunities for multilateral liberalisation that would benefit foreign airlines?
- Which markets are underserved and have the most potential?
- How can the region’s airlines better compete and capture their fair share on Latin America’s growing air routes?
- Will Latin American carriers grow their capacity share on intercontinental routes or will foreign carriers continue to dominate?
Moderator: Deutsche Bank, Managing Director, Michael Linenberg
Panel Members:
- Azul, Chief Revenue Officer, Abhi Shah
- United Airlines, SVP – Alliances, John Gebo
- Viva Air, Chief Legal Officer, Abel Lopez Campo