Page 46 - IAADFS Summit 2023 Special Edition

INSIDER

South American air traffic recovering, but still lags 2019 levels

The effects of the COVID-19 2019. International passengers recovered to more interesting, reaching 27.18 million
pandemic are still being felt in the Latin 10.83 million, up from 3.71 million in 2021 throughout the country, more than double
American aviation industry; passenger but again some way from the 14.76 million from 12.29 million the previous year.
numbers in many countries are still down passengers that filed through the airport in Optimistic observers forecast that the 2019
on 2019, the last full year prior to the 2019. figure of 32.07 million could be reached
spread of the pandemic. Rio de Janeiro’s Galeão airport, this year.
In South America, only Colombia Brazil’s second most important The Chilean airport network is also
can talk of a recovery with international international gateway, also suffered. 2022 showing recovery. International passengers
frequencies in Brazil, Argentina, Peru ended with 5.90 million passengers, of reached 7.01 million passengers, an
and Chile still far below pre-pandemic which 2.45 million were international, increase of 235% on 2021, but still down
levels. Further north, however, Mexico, the significantly improved from 3.93 million 36.9% on 2019. Domestic passengers
Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico have and 583,000 respectively, registered in totalled 13.34 million passengers, up 46.3%
all benefited from high tourist numbers 2021. However, compared to 2019, total on the previous year but still down 11.0%
from continental USA and Canada, with traffic is still down by more than half on 2019.
Cancun, Punta Cana and San Juan all (13.51 million in 2019) and international At Lima Airport, the international
enjoying very strong passenger numbers. traffic is slightly less than half versus 4.32 gateway to Peru, traffic soared by 72.1%
South America’s biggest country, million. to just over 18.6 million passengers in
Brazil, has suffered more than most from Both airports reported strong figures 2022 (2019 comparison: 21.2%). Airport
fewer international flights. Domestic traffic for the first two months of this year and operator Lima Airport Partners has reported
grew strongly in the second half of 2022 most observers expect the recovery to strong figures for January and February
but international flights are still well below continue. However, in March the Brazilian and is predicting a return to pre pandemic
pre-pandemic numbers. government announced the reinstatement figures this year.
The country’s biggest airport, Sao of compulsory travel visas for U.S. Bogota’s Eldorado Airport delivered
Paulo Guarulhos, reached 34.48 million citizens and U.S. airlines may now reduce the strongest performance in the continent,
passengers in 2022, up from 24.17 million expansion plans in the short term. in relation to pre-pandemic passenger
passengers the previous year, but still far The recovery in international numbers. Total traffic reached 18.22 million
below the 43.00 million passengers seen in passengers in Argentina was worthy of passengers (5.84 million international) up
note. The two Buenos Aires airports from 11.45 million the previous year (2.75
Lima Airport inaugurates reached 7.38 million passengers in 2022 up million international). Total traffic was
Second Runway from 1.93 million in the previous year. This slightly ahead of the total for 2019. Bogota
reached 17.53 million with the 5.84 million
figure is still down on the 12.28 million
international passengers recorded in 2019. international passengers figure just below
Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Domestic passenger movements were the 2019 figure of 5.91 million. JG
Airport (LIM) officially opened a new
runway and air traffic control tower Brazil to require tourist Uruguay reports record-
on April 3. The departure of the first
commercial flight marked the milestone visas for Americans & breaking cruise season
event. Fraport’s Peruvian Group airport is Canadians
the country’s first aviation gateway to have Uruguay reports that a record-
two runways. The Brazilian Government has breaking number of 204 cruises arrived in
Fraport CEO Stefan Schulte said: announced that it will resume the Montevideo and Punta del Este between
“We’ve once again proven that we can requirement of visitor visas for citizens of November 2022 and April 2023.
deliver complex infrastructure projects on Australia, Canada, Japan and the United “This figure constitutes the highest
a narrow time frame. One thing is clear for States, effective Oct. 1, 2023. number of cruises arrived in Uruguay
us: even during these challenging times, All four countries still require visas in the last 8 years, and accounts for the
we remain committed to our investment in for Brazil nationals. top-class services the country offers to
Peru.” The move reverses a 2019 decision by shipping companies around the world,”
The new runway and tower will be then-president Jair Bolsonaro to suspend said Uruguay Tourism Vice-Minister, Remo
commissioned in phases and are to be fully entry requirements for the four countries, Monzeglio.
operational by the time the new passenger which had been adopted to encourage In addition to increasing the number
terminal is completed in 2025. tourism. of cruises arriving next season, and
Fraport’s subsidiary Lima Airport As of Oct. 1, 2023, the Brazilian to encourage more companies to visit
Partners (LAP) has operated the airport in Government will adopt the electronic Uruguay, the Minister says the aim of
Peru’s capital city since 2001. LIM served visa modality, which was in force before the delegation at this year’s event is to
about 18.6 million passengers in 2022. the unilateral exemption, said the official offer a new cruise destination, Colonia
After Frankfurt and Antalya, Lima is the announcement. del Sacramento, with its historic quarter
third-busiest airport in the Fraport Group Citizens of Mexico, the UK and the declared World Heritage by UNESCO in
by aircraft movements. European Union do not need tourist visas. 1995.

Summit of the Americas April 2023 46