The Routes Americas 2026 forum concluded at Rio de Janeiro’s Galeão Airport on 5 March, drawing more than 700 network-planning executives and tourism officials from 45 countries. Over three days, participants held an estimated 3,000 one-to-one meetings focused on rebuilding regional air links after the pandemic and on sustainable growth strategies.
Keynote speaker Celso Ferrer, CEO of GOL (and fresh off announcing a new long-haul hub in the same airport), argued that Latin American carriers must diversify beyond their capital-city strongholds, citing Azul’s secondary-hub model and Delta’s joint-ventures as blueprints. LATAM’s Jérôme Cadier previewed a fleet-modernisation plan centred on Embraer E195-E2s to cut per-seat emissions by 25 percent, while airport CEOs from Bogotá and Cancun pitched incentives to lure Brazilian leisure traffic.
For Brazil Inc., hosting Routes Americas was more than prestige: state tourism agency Embratur estimates the event will generate R$280 million in new inbound capacity over the next two scheduling seasons. Delegations from Fortaleza and Salvador signed memoranda of understanding with U.S. low-cost carriers interested in seasonal services, and Rio’s own Galeão secured shortlist status for a Chinese carrier eyeing a 2027 launch.
![Routes Americas 2026 Wraps Up in Rio, Sets Agenda for Post-Pandemic Air Connectivity]()
Sustainability dominated side-sessions, with airlines pledging to source 10 percent of their jet fuel needs from Brazilian-made SAF by 2030 if a federal blending mandate materialises. Digital immigration also featured prominently; Brazil’s justice ministry used the forum to soft-launch its upcoming e-Arrival Card, replacing paper forms at 16 airports from July 2026.
Amid these operational shifts, travellers will want to ensure their paperwork keeps pace. VisaHQ’s self-service portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) offers real-time information on Brazil’s evolving visa policies and can arrange e-visas or traditional visas in a few clicks, reducing friction as new routes come online.
Travel and mobility managers should monitor announcements from the conference as new routes are filed in GDSs over the coming months—particularly secondary-city links that could offer time savings versus traditional São Paulo connections.
Keynote speaker Celso Ferrer, CEO of GOL (and fresh off announcing a new long-haul hub in the same airport), argued that Latin American carriers must diversify beyond their capital-city strongholds, citing Azul’s secondary-hub model and Delta’s joint-ventures as blueprints. LATAM’s Jérôme Cadier previewed a fleet-modernisation plan centred on Embraer E195-E2s to cut per-seat emissions by 25 percent, while airport CEOs from Bogotá and Cancun pitched incentives to lure Brazilian leisure traffic.
For Brazil Inc., hosting Routes Americas was more than prestige: state tourism agency Embratur estimates the event will generate R$280 million in new inbound capacity over the next two scheduling seasons. Delegations from Fortaleza and Salvador signed memoranda of understanding with U.S. low-cost carriers interested in seasonal services, and Rio’s own Galeão secured shortlist status for a Chinese carrier eyeing a 2027 launch.
Sustainability dominated side-sessions, with airlines pledging to source 10 percent of their jet fuel needs from Brazilian-made SAF by 2030 if a federal blending mandate materialises. Digital immigration also featured prominently; Brazil’s justice ministry used the forum to soft-launch its upcoming e-Arrival Card, replacing paper forms at 16 airports from July 2026.
Amid these operational shifts, travellers will want to ensure their paperwork keeps pace. VisaHQ’s self-service portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) offers real-time information on Brazil’s evolving visa policies and can arrange e-visas or traditional visas in a few clicks, reducing friction as new routes come online.
Travel and mobility managers should monitor announcements from the conference as new routes are filed in GDSs over the coming months—particularly secondary-city links that could offer time savings versus traditional São Paulo connections.
