At Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil, passengers from all over the world shuttle between different terminals to transfer to international or domestic flights. At this largest and busiest airport in South America, there is an average of one flight taking off and landing every 90 seconds. The latest data shows that the passenger flow at Guarulhos International Airport reached a new high of 43.6 million in 2024. In recent years, the aviation industry in many Latin American countries has shown strong growth momentum. According to a recent report released by the International Air Transport Association, the passenger volume of airlines in Latin America and the Caribbean will reach 324 million in 2024, an increase of 14.4% compared to 2023, second only to the Asia Pacific region in terms of growth rate among all regions in the world; The occupancy rate reached 84.8%, the highest in the world. The latest data from the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association shows that the air passenger volume in Latin America reached 42.3 million in January this year, a year-on-year increase of 2.4%. Industry insiders have stated that in recent years, driven by the tourism industry and other factors, the demand for the aviation industry in Latin America has continued to grow, and related infrastructure investment and construction have accelerated, resulting in continuous enhancement of regional aviation connectivity. Major airlines are actively expanding their regional business and catering to the trend of green and low-carbon development. The future growth potential of the Latin American aviation industry is enormous. In 2024, the air transport volume of multiple countries in Latin America set a new record, and multiple airlines expanded their business in terms of fleet size and route number. Brazil has risen to become the fourth largest domestic flight market in the world. According to data from the Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority, in 2024, Brazilian civil aviation transported a total of 118.3 million domestic and international passengers, a year-on-year increase of 5%, which is the best data since 2020. In addition, the domestic freight volume reached 488000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 9.7%; The international freight volume reached 891600 tons, setting a new record. Brazilian Tourism Minister Sabino stated that Brazil has made positive progress in continuously optimizing its internal environment, stimulating domestic tourism, attracting investment, and encouraging the opening of new air routes, and there is enormous room for growth in air transportation. According to data from the Federal Civil Aviation Administration of Mexico, a total of 119.5 million passengers were received on domestic and international flights in Mexico in 2024, setting a new historical high. The size of the Mexican fleet in 2024 increased by 5.7% compared to 2023, reaching 389 aircraft. Mexican aviation expert Torres said that in the past few years, many Mexican airlines have been actively introducing new aircraft, with larger capacity and longer range models being more popular. As an important aviation hub in the region, Panama's Tocumen International Airport set a new record with a passenger flow of 19 million in 2024. The general manager of the airport, Jose Blanco, estimates that the passenger flow is expected to reach 23 to 24 million this year. Colombia received a total of 56.56 million passengers on domestic and international flights in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 14.3%. The transportation volume of goods and mail was about 940000 tons, both of which were new records. Columbia Airlines is the largest airline in Colombia, with a total of 24 new routes and 167 routes opened in 2024; Transported 38 million passengers, a year-on-year increase of 19%. Chile's Jet Air also entered the Colombian market in March last year and opened 17 domestic routes and multiple international routes. On June 1st, in Lima, the capital of Peru, a plane operated by Iberia Airlines landed at the new Jorge Chavez International Airport and slowly passed through the "Watergate", marking the official operation of the new Jorge Chavez International Airport project. The project will build a new runway, a control tower, and a new terminal on the basis of the existing airport. The area of the new terminal is three times that of the original terminal, and the airport is designed for an annual passenger flow of 30 million. The new airport will consolidate Lima's position as an important transportation hub in South America, further promoting the country's tourism industry and economic development. Currently, many countries in the region are accelerating the upgrading of aviation infrastructure and introducing relevant policies to encourage the development of the aviation market. Chile will launch the "Chile 2025-2030 Airport Plan" at the end of 2024, which involves the renovation and expansion of 19 airports in 15 regions of the country, with an investment of over 3.2 billion US dollars. It is the largest aviation infrastructure construction project in Chile in recent decades. The plan aims to meet the growing demand for flights in the country, strengthen connectivity, and promote socio-economic development in different regions of the country. In February of this year, Durasno International Airport in Uruguay was officially opened, marking the completion of modernization of six airports in Uruguay and meeting international standards in terms of operational safety and service quality. Uruguay established a national airport system through a decree in 2020, which helps modernize the country's airport infrastructure through franchising. The Uruguayan Civil Aviation Commission recently announced that the country is further opening up its domestic aviation market, allowing foreign airlines to operate domestic flights within its borders and signing aviation service agreements with more countries. In July 2024, Brazil launched its first social project for the Brazilian aviation industry, the "Fly Brazil" program, which is a collaboration between the Brazilian Ministry of Ports and Airports and airlines, providing 3 million low-cost airline tickets for retirees who have not flown in the past 12 months. As of early April this year, Brazil has sold 35419 airline tickets through this program. Brazilian Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Filho, stated that this plan has stimulated the growth of passenger demand in the regional aviation industry, and in the future, more people will be included in the plan to benefit more people. Zelda, CEO of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association, stated that the average number of air travel per capita in Latin America is still much lower than in Europe and America. "Latin America needs more and more complete aviation infrastructure and corresponding public policies to facilitate more Latin American people's travel and travel. Latam Airlines, headquartered in Chile, is the largest airline in South America that has formulated a sustainable aviation development plan. When traveling in Latin American countries, journalists often take flights operated by the airline, and the paper cups and tableware provided on the flights are printed with the same word - "sustainable" - in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. Sustainable "is not only a slogan, but also the direction of efforts for the Latin American aviation industry. The Latin American aviation industry actively formulates sustainable development plans and promotes the widespread application of sustainable aviation fuels. According to S&P Global's forecast, the total supply of sustainable aviation fuel in Latin America is expected to reach a daily average of 118000 barrels by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 18% over the next 25 years. Latham Airlines has previously been included in S&P's Global Sustainability Yearbook 2025, becoming one of only six selected companies in the industry. The company has set goals to achieve zero waste landfill by 2027 and net zero emissions by 2050, and has launched plans such as "Recycling Your Journey" and "Second Flight". By 2024, a total of 280 tons of cabin waste, textiles, and other materials will be recycled and reused. As an important biofuel producer in the region, Brazil signed the "Future Fuel Law" in 2024, which stipulates that airlines must use sustainable aviation fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1% annually until the goal of achieving a total reduction of 10% by 2037. Brazilian Minister of Mines and Energy, Silva, stated that sustainable aviation fuels are an important component of achieving cleaner and more responsible development in the aviation industry. They not only reduce carbon emissions but also promote technological innovation. In January of this year, the Colombian Civil Aviation Authority released a plan for sustainable aviation fuel production, with the goal of achieving 100 million gallons (approximately 3.785 liters per gallon) of sustainable aviation fuel production by 2035 and 450 million gallons by 2050. In November 2024, the Colombian National Oil Company completed production trials and produced over 30000 barrels of sustainable aviation fuel using palm oil and waste cooking oil within 7 days. The report "The Road to Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean" released by the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association in January this year pointed out that the biodiversity, abundant natural resources, and increasing demand for improving regional connectivity in Latin America provide a solid foundation for promoting a more sustainable aviation transformation. In addition to sustainable aviation fuels, the aviation industry can adopt methods such as carbon offset, carbon capture technology, and investment in renewable energy industries to accelerate the achievement of green development goals. (New Society)