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    CAPA Airline Leader Summit Latin America & Caribbean

    Panama City, Panama
    10-11 Sep 2026

    Day 1 - Thursday 10 September 2026

    8:00 AM - 9:00 - Networking, Coffee & Registration

    9:00 AM - 9:10 - CAPA Welcome

    9:10 AM - 9:25 - State of the Industry

    Lori Ranson - Senior Analyst, the Americas, CAPA

    9:25 AM - 9:55 - Airline Leader Interview, COPA CEO Pedro Heilbron

    9:55 AM - 10:40 - Building Latin America's Aviation Future Through Strategic Collaboration

    An engaging discussion with airline and alliance leaders exploring how strategic partnerships and consolidation can unlock new opportunities across Latin America. This session will focus on the collaborative potential of industry alignment-examining how alliances, joint ventures, and thoughtful consolidation strategies can expand regional and international connectivity, create win-win competitive dynamics, and accelerate growth in tourism, trade, and local employment.

    • How can alliances and collaborative frameworks enhance network reach, operational efficiency, and customer experience while preserving market diversity?
    • How can growth strategies help build partnerships that benefit multiple stakeholders - airlines, communities, employees, and passengers?
    • What are the best practices for working with regulators to design consolidation and partnership structures that promote fair competition and consumer choice?
    • How can strategic alignment accelerate environmental goals and resource optimisation across the region?
    • What are the lessons from international markets where thoughtful consolidation and alliance strategies have strengthened aviation ecosystems?

    The session will address key considerations for successful partnerships, including maintaining competitive choice, ensuring continued service to emerging markets, protecting employment through growth-oriented strategies and implementing governance frameworks that balance efficiency with regional connectivity needs.

    Panel:

    Moderator: Alex de Gunten, Business Development Officer, Heico Aerospace

    Peter Cerdá, CEO & Executive Director, ALTA

    Angus Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer, ABRA Group

    Robert Carey, Executive Vice President, Copa Airlines

    Alex Antilla, Vice President Latin America & Caribbean, Delta Air Lines

    10:40 - 11:00 - Winning When Airlines Look Alike: Strategic Coherence as the New Competitive Advantage

    Traditional airline categories no longer explain competitive success. As industry complexity continues to rise and business models increasingly converge, the challenge for airline leaders is shifting from optimizing individual strategic choices to ensuring that customer proposition, operations, and economics work together as a coherent system. This keynote explores why some airlines consistently outperform while others drift, and how strategic coherence can create resilience, meaningful differentiation, and lasting competitive advantage. Combining global airline insights with perspectives from Latin America and the Caribbean, the session examines what it takes to build and sustain high-performing airlines in an increasingly dynamic industry.

    Speakers:

    Florian Erbach, Managing Consultant, Lufthansa Consulting

    Liege Emmerz, Partner, Lufthansa Consulting

    11:00 - 11:30 - Coffee Break

    11:30 - 12:00- Airline Leader Interview, ABRA CCO Angus Clarke

    Moderator: Lori Ranson, Senior Analyst, the Americas, CAPA

    12:00 - 12:45 - Navigating Regulatory Challenges and Advancing Harmonisation in Latin American Aviation

    This session will look at how Latin America's aviation industry is facing a complex regulatory environment that demands strategic navigation and collaboration. From harmonising aviation standards to improve efficiency and safety, to addressing emerging challenges through stronger partnerships between governments and industry stakeholders, the region presents both obstacles and opportunities.

    Airline leaders must also contend with risks from political instability, currency fluctuations, fleet shortages and the economic ripple effects of global conflicts, including the Middle East war. Rising oil prices further complicate regulatory frameworks and operational costs, while cross-border trade agreements offer a path to mitigate geopolitical and economic pressures. This discussion invites airline leaders to explore solutions that drive resilience, innovation, and growth in the face of these multifaceted challenges.

    Panel:

    Moderator: Michael Bell, Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry

    Cuitlahuac Gutierrez- SVP, Institutional Relations, Government, Airports and Industry Affairs, Aeromexico

    Peter Cerdá, CEO & Executive Director, ALTA

    Ángela Orozco, Senior Corporate Affairs VP, Avianca Group

    Rafael Bárcenas, Director General, Civil Aviation Authority of Panama

    Michael Gill, Director, Legal Affairs & External Relations Bureau, ICAO

    12:45 - 1:00 - From Transaction to Trust - what actually drives airline customer behaviour today

    Peter Smith, SVP Travel, Cover Genius

    1:00 - 2:10 - Lunch Break

    2:10 - 2:50 - Digital Transformation and Customer-Centric Innovation

    The aviation industry in Latin America is at a pivotal moment, where embracing digital transformation can redefine efficiency and customer experience. Industry leaders are invited to discuss how AI, IoT, and big data can drive personalisation, streamline ticketing, cargo, and logistics, and enhance cybersecurity for seamless operations. As customer expectations evolve in a competitive market, innovative strategies and data-driven insights can personalise passenger experiences, foster loyalty, and boost retention. Join this conversation to explore transformative solutions that position airlines as leaders in customer-centric innovation and digital excellence.

    Panel:

    Moderator: Dennis Cary, Founder & Managing Director, Cary Strategic Advisory

    Carlos Conde, President, ALAP (Airlines Association of Panama)

    Pascual Alvarez, Managing Director for the Caribbean, Central and South America, American Airlines

    Jason Ward, EVP Marketing & People, Azul Airlines

    John Pepper, Chief Commercial Officer, Bermudair

    Edward Pouthier, VP Loyalty & Personalization, JetBlue Airways

    2:50 - 3:40- Why Latin America and the Caribbean matter more than ever - the next era of connectivity

    Latin America and the Caribbean are entering a new phase of international aviation growth. Strong leisure demand, expanding VFR markets, improving economic fundamentals in key countries and growing premium traffic are creating fresh opportunities for airlines to reshape long-haul networks. At the same time, changing geopolitics, evolving fleet capabilities and shifting alliance dynamics are opening the door to new route strategies that would have appeared unlikely only a few years ago.

    Europe remains one of the regions' most strategically important long-haul markets, with airlines continuing to deepen their presence through Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, Amsterdam and London. Yet competition is intensifying as North American airlines strengthen their own southbound networks while Asia-Pacific carriers begin exploring new opportunities through intermediate hubs and ultra-long-haul aircraft capabilities.

    This session brings together airline leaders from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean to examine where the next decade of international growth will emerge. Which markets remain underserved? How should airlines balance tourism with premium business demand? Where can partnerships unlock new opportunities? And how will changing aircraft economics influence future network decisions?

    As airlines continue searching for sustainable long-haul growth, Latin America and the Caribbean are increasingly becoming strategic markets rather than simply seasonal destinations. The question is no longer whether growth will continue-but which airlines will be best positioned to capture it.

    Panel:

    Moderator: Lori Ranson, Senior Analyst, the Americas, CAPA

    Garret Malone, COO, Arajet

    Brent McBratney, Vice President-Marketing, Americas, Embraer Commercial Aircraft

    Marina Colunga, Head of Sales, Latin America, Iberia

    Kamal Hadad, Senior VP Network and Strategy, LATAM Airlines Group

    Deodat Indar, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Government of Guyana

    3:40 - 4:15- Coffee Break

    4:15 - 5:00 - Pioneering a Greener Future for Latin American Aviation

    As the global aviation industry intensifies its focus on sustainability, Latin America has a unique opportunity to lead the way in adopting greener practices. This discussion invites industry leaders to explore the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), carbon-neutral initiatives, and innovations in green technology that can reduce environmental impact. Key topics include navigating regulatory frameworks for environmental compliance and addressing the differing approaches of international airlines and regional operators. Join this critical dialogue to shape a sustainable future for aviation while balancing growth, innovation and environmental responsibility.

    Moderator: Richard Maslen, Head of Analysis, CAPA - Centre for Aviation

    Felipe Gomez, Vice President of Public Affairs, Avianca

    Diego Martínez del Río, Climate Change Management Sr Manager, LATAM Airlines Group

    Marco Larson, Sustainability Officer, SKY Airline

    5:00 - 5:05 - CAPA Closing Day Remarks

    7:00 - 10:00 - Networking Dinner at The Ruins of La Compañía de Jesús, Hotel La Compañía Casco Antiguo