SWITZERLAND: Aviation provides one in every 35 jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean

Air transport will generate 8.3 million jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2023, equivalent to one in every 35 jobs.

The economy of many countries depends on tourism. For example, in Belize tourism contributes 30% of economic activity, in the Dominican Republic 15% and in Mexico 14%.”

— Haldane Dodd, ATAG CEO

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, December 19, 2024 / EINPresswire.com / -- Air transport will support 8.3 million jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2023, equivalent to one in every 35 jobs. Driven by tourism and a growing propensity to travel, the aviation sector in the region remains one of the fastest-growing in the world, with an expected annual growth rate of international traffic over the next 20 years of 3.5%.

The aviation sector accounts for 2.9% of all jobs in the region and directly

employs 790,000 people. This number is expected to increase over the next twenty years to 1.2 million in 2043. In addition, jobs in the supply chain and from tourism will also boost the contribution of air transport in the region. Last year, 3 million flights took off from airports in Latin America and the Caribbean, transporting 317 million passengers and 2.6 million tons of cargo. The region has 135 airlines operating in a network of 527 commercial airports, connected by 31 air navigation service providers.

These findings are part of the report Aviation: Benefits beyond borders , produced by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) together with its member organisations and based on in-depth research by Oxford Economics. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic and social impact of the aviation sector, as well as its vital role in connecting an increasingly globalised world.

Haldane Dodd, ATAG CEO , said: “Many Latin American and Caribbean countries rely on tourism as their economies. For example, tourism contributes 30% of economic activity in Belize, 15% in the Dominican Republic and 14% in Mexico. With more than half of the world’s tourists travelling by air, aviation plays a key role in facilitating this tourism and, through it, driving economic growth and prosperity. The propensity to travel is projected to increase over the next twenty years, particularly in developing and emerging economies, so this trend can be expected to continue.”

Improving airport connectivity also helps catalyse foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing and emerging economies. It has been shown that if airport connectivity increases by 10%, FDI increases by 4.7% accordingly, boosting gross domestic product, local wages and employment. This supports the economic development of the region and allows for investment in air infrastructure.