CAPA Latin America Aviation & LCCs Summit

With little direct government support, despite tight travel restrictions, it has been a tough couple of years for the aviation sector across Latin America. By August, most regions of the world will be shifting their focus in managing COVID-19 to an endemic state — how has Latin America managed this transition? 

Governments across the Americas need to “fundamentally change their mindset” and the way that they collaborate with the aviation industry; otherwise the recovery will stall, IATA regional VP for the Americas Peter Cerda has said recently. 

It is clear that the industry will need much smarter collaboration than ever before.

The fear is that governments across the region will default back to old habits. Over-regulation and damaging tax systems may appear effective tools for recovery, but they are counterproductive for airports, airlines and consumers.

Three of Latin America’s major airline groups – LATAM, Aeromexico and Avianca – are emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As they’ve been working to restructure during the past couple of years their low cost rivals have been preparing to bolster competition with those restructured operators.

• What will be the weight of leisure destinations in the post-covid recovery?

• What is the status of border reopening and are countries working together to create a seamless experience for intra-regional travel? 

• While standardised rules for international travellers remains a biggest hurdle for Latin America’s airlines, will new dynamics influence the shape of the industry in the region and bring new opportunities for growth?

• Taxation and regulation have long been a complex issue between the region’s aviation sector and the governments. Has the pandemic created opportunities for new dialogue for countries in Latin America to rethink their relationship with the aviation industry? 

Moderator: CAPA - Centre for Aviation, Senior Advisor, John Thomas  

• ACI - Latin America Caribbean, Director General, Rafael Echevarne
• American Airlines, Director for South America and Strategic Alliances, Gonzalo Schames
• Azul Brazilian Airlines, Revenue Vice President, Abhi Shah 
• IATA, Regional Vice President The Americas, Peter Cerdá 

Globally, consumers, communities, corporations, and governments are focusing more intently than ever on the need to arrest growth in carbon emissions and ways to transition to a net-zero future.

Following a dramatic 2021 IPCC report, and the 2021 COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, there has been more pressure than ever for industries to demonstrate decarbonisation strategies and outcomes.

The airline industry is a prominent target, despite generating a relatively small 2.5% to 3.5% of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions – but it is a conspicuous target.

In 2016 ICAO, supported by IATA, established CORSIA, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, which was arguably the first industry to target 2050 emission ceilings. But now its programme is no longer considered stringent enough. As its name implies, the strategy combined reducing emissions, as well as offsetting them. 

The industry now potentially faces interim 2030 targets as demands intensify to reduce emissions even faster. This will be an extreme challenge, as most of the anticipated technological solutions are not expected to occur until the 2030s and beyond.

Two of Brazil’s largest operators believe there’s a built-in infrastructure in the country for the urban mobility market, and are in the process of working to launch operations with electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the not too distant future. Are operators in other Latin countries considering this technology? In this session we hear from industry experts as they look to the future to determine when, and if, targets can be achieved.

• What are the milestones that need to be met in the near term to reach those targets? 

• What are the biggest challenges the industry faces as it works towards meeting those ambitions?

• How are governments and airlines in the region approaching the development of SAF? 

• What level of investment is necessary, and is the interest there? 

• What innovative strategies are airlines adopting in the short term to meet their sustainability goals as investors increasingly place more emphasis on environmental stewardship?

Moderator: CAPA - Centre for Aviation, Senior Advisor, John Thomas

• ALTA, Executive Director & CEO, Jose Ricardo Botelho
• Embraer, Head of Sustainability, Commercial Aviation, Henrique Heidemann
• TAP Air Portugal, CEO, Christine Ourmières              

Skyscanner Horizons: the latest insights and trends shaping travel's recovery

Overview: Skyscanner offers a glimpse into the latest trends shaping recovery, as revealed in their Skyscanner Horizons reports. Based on forward-looking data, the trends provide an unparallelled look into how traveller behaviour is unfolding and evolving in the current landscape. Discover the latest regional and market-specific trends including current booking horizons, forward-looking demand and popular destinations.

• Skyscanner, Head of Flights, South America, Isla dos Santos   

CEO Interview

Moderator: CAPA - Centre for Aviation, Senior Analyst, Lori Ranson
Speaker: Ultra Air, CEO, William Shaw

Innovation Roadshow - Textron
Textron Aviation, Sales Director, Leonardo Vianna 

Airline CEO Interview
Moderator: ACI - Latin America Caribbean, Director General, Rafael Echevarne
Speaker: Flybondi, CEO, Mauricio Sana

Chairperson's Wrap up

Networking Dinner
Restaurant Pereira, Av. Sete de Setembro, 3959 - Barra, Salvador - BA, 40140-110.

Bus leaves Wish Hotel at 19:15.