Published on : Monday, July 22, 2019
Coinciding with the visit of De Juniac, IATA published its latest study on the value of air transport in Colombia, which shows that aviation currently contributes around 7.5 billion dollars to the annual GDP of the country and generates more than 600,000 jobs. As the second largest aviation market in South America, Colombia has great development potential.
“We had a very favorable and open dialogue with President Duque and several of his ministers. We are sure that aviation in Colombia will receive the necessary support so that the sector can continue contributing to the economic growth of the country. We look forward to continuing on this constructive path,” Juniac said.
Some of IATA’s recommendations to the Colombian authorities have to do with:
The Colombian government also needs to allow, once again, that local airlines offset their CO2 emissions in the international market. Current restrictions that limit this possibility to national carbon offsetting projects mean that airlines can only offset less than 20% of their emissions.
“We also touched on the issue of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). Colombia has been supporting biofuel production since 2005. Therefore, we have agreed to jointly explore opportunities related to SAF development,” he said.
The cost of fuel in Colombia is another concern, IATA mentioned in a press release adding that ‘the import tax of 8% has an estimated annual impact for airlines of almost US $ 10 million. Increasing competition in supply and imports, improvements in distribution infrastructure and greater regulation of fuel facilities have the potential to reduce the price gap with countries such as Panama and Peru.’
The press release further stated that ‘aviation is the business of freedom, as it allows people to travel and connect with others, whether in their own country, region or around the world. It also allows trade and provides economic benefits for all.’