Aviation sectors in Africa and Latin America target expanded connectivity

The aviation industries in Africa and Latin America are pursuing significant expansion to drive economic integration and tourism. In Africa, Ethiopia is positioning itself as a central continental gateway through the development of the Bishoftu International Airport. This project aims to complement Ethiopian Airlines’ existing hub-and-spoke model to improve regional connectivity and access to global markets. Airbus forecasts that passenger traffic in Ethiopia will increase more than sixfold over the next 20 years.

In the Latin American and Caribbean region, the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) has outlined a vision to increase air travel frequency. The association aims to raise the regional benchmark from 0.69 air trips per resident annually to over one trip per resident by 2036, representing a 45% increase. Brazil and Mexico are identified as primary drivers of this growth, with Brazil recording 129.6 million passengers in 2025 and Mexico recording 122.4 million.