PANAMA CITY, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Latin America needs to improve aviation infrastructure and relax regulations that limit the industry's growth, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Peter Cerda, the IATA's regional vice president for the Americas, spoke with Xinhua in Panama City, where the association of more than 260 airlines worldwide this week opened a new area office to attend to carriers in seven Central American countries.
The IATA believes the aviation industry in Central America is not developing as fast as it should, though Panama is considered to be "a model of air transport excellence," and Costa Rica and Nicaragua have made some infrastructure improvements.
"It is always important to have governments ensure airport services, air traffic and infrastructure, not just for today, but for the growth in coming few years," said Cerda.
While security regulations need to be firm and robust, regulations governing the way airlines do business should be brought more in line with rules that apply to other types of enterprise, he said.
Panama will soon unveil a new terminal (T2) to relieve traffic congestion at the Tocumen International Airport serving the capital.
The president of Panama's Copa Airlines, Pedro Heilbron, recently told reporters the expansion work is key to increasing the carrier's capacity.
Air traffic in Panama is expected to grow some 8.5 percent in the next few years.
In a statement on the inauguration of its new area office on Wednesday, the IATA said, "Panama City has developed into one of the most important aviation hubs in Latin America. The connectivity that it generates supports the country's strong GDP growth and spreads economic and social benefits across Central America."
The office, supported by the Americas regional office in Miami, will serve Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, as well as Panama.
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