By Jose Ricardo Botelho* Welcome aboard of a new flight where we share the cabin with Marcelo Mello, Head of Structured and Assets Finance at Nantes Mello Advogados in Brazil, an ALTA consulting member company since 2021. On this occasion we will delve into the impact that the pandemic has had and now the important challenges resulting from the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the financing and leasing of aircraft. A fundamental piece in the cost structure of an airline that is directly related to multiple external and internal factors. There are many variables to consider, and I hope that this article allows us to open a new dialogue to develop more initiatives in order to continue generating efficiencies for the sector [...]

Fuente: ACI-LAC 1.- As the new Vice President of the Board of Directors of ACI-LAC, in your opinion, what will be the main challenges for the sector for this new year? I can say that 2021 leaves us with a message of optimism when we look ahead for several reasons: the vaccination process in Latin America and the Caribbean is going very well compared to other regions and the traveler already has the confidence to move. We see how several countries in the region have had a good recovery of their passenger traffic and capacity, as is the case of Mexico, which was only 10% below pre-pandemic levels in October 2021, or the Dominican Republic, which was only 5% below. [...]

By Jeff Peet, Managing Editor. 1. Iberia has a social and cultural commitment to Latin America that, throughout its 75-year history, has been increasing. That reality must go hand in hand with a commercial consideration, of course. At this point in the pandemic, how is that balance being managed between that socio-cultural commitment and the company's commercial strategy? Having been aggressive in that balance, it has made us precisely even improve our results. It has all been like a very virtuous circle. When the pandemic began, in the first months, almost all the airlines in the world had to reduce operations to zero, maintaining only repatriation flights, medical supplies and vaccine transport but then, in June 2020, we resumed fundamental [...]

1. What stands out as the main achievement after holding this Annual General Assembly of ACI-LAC, beyond the renewal of your board and the resolutions they have adopted? The commitment, the interest of the airports in the region in everything related to the environment has become very clear. That has been one of the main issues we have discussed. It is very clear that there is great interest and, in fact, it is one of the issues that we will be reinforcing next year as part of an strategy at ACI-LAC, in the sense of ensuring that all airports are aware of new technologies, of how airports would have to respond to them, such as the development of SAF and, [...]

By Jeff Peet, Managing Editor – ALA News With respect to the current health crisis that has hit us all so hard, how much longer can the industry endure such adverse conditions and when do you expect to see steady signs of recovery? All airlines need cash to survive. With access to enough cash airlines can continue however this depends on the source. Government support in most regions require a demonstration that market dynamics will not be unfairly changed. Air France-KLM are working toward an assumption that 2019 revenues will return to our group in the 2024/2025 period. From your perspective, what is the area of ​​the industry that has been the most affected and where the challenges of recovery [...]

By Jeff Peet, Managing Editor from Tenerife. 1.- How long have you been professionally involved in the tourism industry? I have always worked in the tourism industry. I am 47 years old and I have been doing it for the last 25 years, so I have dedicated most of my life to be involved in the sector, both in hotels and airport handling, but also and mostly with tour operators and agencies, as a contractor. Tourism is something that I like, that I am passionate about and when you feel passion for what you do, everything is much easier and it becomes more bearable. 2.- What is the importance of the Aviation-Event 2021 Tenerife conference that you just hosted less [...]

By Jeff Peet, Managing Editor. 1.-What is the reality of the participation of women in the commercial aviation industry? The number of women in aviation has remained stagnant or has decreased in most functional specialties since the 1980’s. That shocking statistic isn’t going to compel improvements in gender balance; nor will change happen solely because it’s the right thing to do. The aviation system and who participates in that system is a product of the system design. All elements of that system must shift to encourage girls and women to seek careers in aviation. Once in aviation, the systems that support employees must be adjusted to understand and account for the unique  pressures and obligations of women. Until those responsible [...]

By Jeff Peet, Editor-in-Chief.     Much has been said about the resilience of civil aviation. Many even argue that no other industry could have withstood a crisis like this, despite having been one of the most affected economic sectors and on which so many other areas such as tourism depend. In this context, the question that immediately arises is: How long can the industry endure such adverse conditions to operate? Or rightly, what does it require to continue operating, depending on what is coming?   The crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented and its effects on the economy and our way of life will continue for a while. This year has been very complex for everyone, private [...]

Salvatore Sciacchitano, President of the International Civil Aviation Organization: "The COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes the importance of solidarity and global alignment in Aviation"   Edited by Jeff Peet   1.- What role has the industry played in the development of harmonization measures, that is, actions common to all its actors to face this pandemic in a coordinated manner?   Industry participation has been wide and highly appreciated. Airline and airport operators are more directly involved in the passenger experience and, as historical aviation safety performance reveals, protecting passengers from any and all risks to their health and safety is the first and higher commitment of air transport.   From a general point of view, everyone should appreciate that CART's work has [...]

Rafael Echevarne, ACI-LAC Director General "This first semester, in Latin America and the Caribbean, commercial aviation has lost 170 million passengers and 2 billion dollars" By Jeff Peet   1.- What is the operation or current reality of airports in Latin America and the Caribbean and what can you tell us, within the framework of what will be the “new normality”? The first thing to note is that the airports in Latin America and the Caribbean have not ceased operating. The vast majority have continued to operate because, despite the fact that there are no passenger flights, there are cargo, humanitarian and repatriation flights. There are perhaps some small and rather remote that might have closed, but in a high [...]