Arturo Barreira on the future of Latin America aviation and how Airbus thinks differently about the region #SimpliLive

“Be yourself. Work hard. Play hard.” – Arturo Barreira, President, Airbus Latin America & Caribbean

Arturo Barreira (LinkedIn) is not a stranger to Latin America. He’s been leading the sales organization for Airbus Latin America and Caribbean for many years and recently stepped into the President’s post. I had an opportunity to speak to him at length before my speech at the recent #ALTAForum in Panama City. What better city in Latin America to speak about connectivity and aviation than Panama City!

Latin America aviation has great potential

Arturo and I had a long chat about the future of aviation in Latin America and why it’s a region with untapped potential. He also shares the unique challenges faced by airlines in the region and what can be done to overcome them. In this episode, we cover a number of topics and stories, including some he’s not discussed publicly before. Here’s a small sample:

1. Which airlines are best positioned to take advantage of the growth in secondary cities in Latin America
2. How consolidation has helped the region’s airlines in the past 20 years
3. Why Airbus treats Latin America differently from Europe
4. What Panama is doing to stay ahead of the game in aviation
5. Why aviation cannot continue to be the cash cow for the region
6. The importance of figureheads leading airlines in Latin America

If you only have a few minutes, you should definitely listen to the first few minutes of this segment on the future of aviation in Latin America.

Up-Close with Arturo Barreira

Many of the times, we work along side people for decades, yet barely know them. On the SimpliFlying Live Show, I aim to uncover personal insights that co-workers may not know about. Arturo was a sport – he shared everything from his favorite restaurant to the book he’s reading now. Hope you enjoy this segment.