Articles tagged “Latin America”

An illustration showing a plane and the Puerto Rico coastline.
Latin America

Island Fever: Puerto Rico’s Miracle Recovery

There are fewer flights departing U.S. airports today than in 2019 — even as seat counts have edged higher on larger aircraft. Growth overall has been modest, but a handful of markets tell a very different story. Few shine brighter than Puerto Rico, where booming tourism and shifting airline strategies have resulted in a remarkable surge. Now, rising fuel costs and industry shakeups are testing that momentum. We take a closer look in this week’s feature story.
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |
An illustration showing a Volaris plane in the sky.
Latin America

Better Days for Mexico's Volaris

They say when the U.S. sneezes, Mexico catches a cold. That’s certainly true for Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris. Its earnings were in poor health throughout the first half of 2025, largely due to U.S. policies on tariffs and immigration. Those symptoms now appear to be fading. Volaris reports that demand recovered in recent months, with continued momentum into the final months of the year. In this week's feature story, we take a deep-dive look at one of the region's most dynamic operators and ask what could come next.
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |
An illustration showing Azul and Gol aircraft over Brazil.
Latin America

Azul and Gol: Together at Last or Separate Paths?

To merge or not to merge? That's the question for two of Brazil’s three major airlines. In January, Azul and Gol signed a non-binding deal with "intent to combine their businesses.” Then came a snag. Azul filed for Chapter 11, just one week before Gol exited bankruptcy. Today, the prospect of a Brazilian mega-merger is increasingly uncertain, as we discuss in this week's feature story.
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |
An illustration showing Latam planes on the world map.
Latin America

Frozen in Time: Latam’s Cost Miracle

Will someone in South America please check the calendar? Is it still 2019? Latam, South America’s largest airline group, is paying a remarkably low 4.8 U.S. cents, excluding fuel, to fly one seat one kilometer. That’s almost identical to the 4.6 cents it paid six years earlier. In this week's feature story, we explore why Latam’s cost structure is basically the same as it was before the Covid crisis.
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |