Central, South America Show Fastest Growth in Long-Haul Air Travel

Central and South America will lead the world in November in the growth of long-haul air traffic and capacity, according to the latest statistics from OAG, the market leader in flight schedule data.

However, air traffic within the region will show an overall stagnation, with a decline in the stalling Brazilian domestic market offsetting growth in some neighboring countries.

The OAG FACTS (Frequency and Capacity Trend Statistics) report for November 2012 reveals that flights and seats between Central and South America and other global regions will increase by 8% in the month compared to November 2011 (almost 4,200 extra flights and 706,000 additional seats). This seat capacity growth is significantly above the global average of 2% for November.

The rise in traffic to and from the region reflects strong performances in several areas. In Central America, which enjoys the greatest volume of long-haul capacity in the region, flight numbers will increase by 11% and seats by 12%.

The Caribbean will see flights increase by 11% and seat capacity by 10%, driven principally by low-cost carrier (LCC) network expansion. In Upper South America, Colombia’s growth will be notable, with international flights and seat capacity expected to be up by 8%. Lower South America, Brazil and Chile are expected to be principal contributors to international traffic growth.

This strong international growth will, however, contrast with a weak intra-regional performance for Central and South America. In November, seat capacity within the region will be almost flat, with an increase of just 0.8%, while flight numbers will fall by 0.8%.