Message from the ALTA CEO and President

We are days away from the end of 2022. A year where aviation has brought us many satisfactions and reactivation results that exceeded our expectations, despite the extremely challenging environment shaped by the conflict in Europe and the macroeconomic environment in our region, which once again challenged us to be more flexible, to adapt our plans as we went along, and to do more with less. So much so that by September we had already surpassed the passenger traffic vs. pre-pandemic in Latin America and Caribbean with over 28.6 million travelers.

In this 2022 we also managed to see each other in person, give each other a hug, return to our offices and talks in the hall, visit all the countries in the region without travel restrictions and continue to provide an essential service that goes far beyond carrying tourists. Today, aviation plays a fundamental role in global production chains, transporting 80% of the value of goods; but it also brings development to every destination where it lands, creating jobs, businesses and opportunities in a direct, indirect and induced manner.

Our industry plays an exceptional social role. Not only during emergencies such as the pandemic when air transport made possible the expeditious delivery of vaccines, essential medical material and the repatriation of citizens to their countries; but also on a daily basis carrying people in need of immediate medical attention, urgently needed organs for operations, essential goods to remote locations that are only reached by air… Entering an aircraft gives hope to people who dream of taking to the skies. And we could continue to list examples.

Our members make this possible and that is why we at ALTA want to express once again our gratitude and how honored we feel to serve 159 member companies and organizations, made up of people of high human and professional quality, who day and even night dedicate ample knowledge, will, commitment and excellence so that people and cargo arrive safely at their destination.

In this context, our teams are and will continue to be a cornerstone. That is why health, diversity, inclusion and training are priorities for ALTA in 2023. We have initiatives launched this year that will be strengthened next year and new ones that we will be announcing to accompany our members in their efforts to take care of people, inside and outside the organizations.

Likewise, we will also continue to prepare and align ourselves to work as an industry to overcome the challenges that 2022 will leave us with and that will surely keep in 2023: historically high operating costs resulting from fuel prices; a dollar that continues to strengthen and directly impacts many financial commitments; and the devaluation of some currencies in key markets in the region, which in many cases represent the majority of our sales. We will also continue to strive to recover pre-pandemic demand globally while responding to a challenging macroeconomic environment; high economic and political uncertainty; and higher taxes and increased regulatory pressures on consumers and the environment.

But who better than us and our industry to talk about resilience when virtually every year we have to face some black swan? There is no doubt that, if we keep together and focus on what is important, we will prove to be more resistant and resilient, and create a stronger and more reliable industry, despite increased volatility.

ALTA has operated uninterruptedly for 42 years to serve and add value to its members. This is the reason for our existence and therefore we invite you all to actively participate in the ALTA 2023 work agenda and bring your requests and ideas. This is and always will be your home.

We have been proud to work with you and your teams. We thank you greatly for being an example of joint work, for your determination to always do things better and for your ability to articulate a huge chain that makes it possible for 6 flights to take off every minute and land safely in the region… We know that without each one of you it would not be possible to do so.

We hope that the magic of aviation reaches every home in Latin America and Caribbean this year-end and continues to bring more families, friends, opportunities and development closer.

Thank you for your confidence in ALTA, for the joint and collaborative work and for the expectations for 2023.