Sustainability and aerial projections mark the agenda of Wings of Change Americas 2025, held in Bogotá.

From this Wednesday through June 26, Bogotá, Colombia, is hosting the Wings of Change Americas (WOCA) 2025 aviation event for the first time. Under the theme "The Frontier of Connectivity: Exploring New Opportunities in the Region," the event is being held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

This meeting has an agenda designed to highlight the importance of collaboration between the airline industry and government agencies to improve regional connectivity and competitiveness.

The two-day event will address key topics such as travel and tourism; technology and innovation; operations, sustainability, and distribution. Wings of Change Americas will feature representatives from various airlines around the world , representatives from international organizations, and executives from partner organizations.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects more than 300 leaders to analyze and debate the role of aviation as a strategic ally for connectivity and regional development.

In recent years, Bogotá has established itself as a key player in the aviation sector. According to IATA, Colombia accounts for 9.7 percent of passenger traffic in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Likewise, at the beginning of 2025, the Civil Aeronautics reported that Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport handled more than 45 million passengers in 2024 , positioning itself, for the third consecutive year, as the busiest airport in South America.

A press conference was held during the event, attended by Markus Ruediger, IATA's Deputy Director of Corporate Communications; Peter Cerdá, IATA's Regional Vice President for the Americas; and Paula Bernal, IATA's Country Manager for Colombia.

Cerdá emphasized that the main challenge for the region is primarily airport infrastructure. “ We have seen significant growth in the region, with a positive strengthening not only in tourism but also in business. This creates new connectivity opportunities,” he indicated.

The executive also emphasized the need to review the capacity not only of each country's main airports, but also of secondary airports such as Cali, Medellín, Cartagena, and Santa Marta, in the case of Colombia.

"These are airports that are growing at a very rapid pace. The demand is there, but what's lacking is the infrastructure, and that's what we need to improve. Building a new terminal or runway isn't done in months; it requires years of planning and construction."

Cerdá also discussed the use of technology and highlighted the work done in Bogotá to improve the passenger experience. In his opinion, these initiatives should be applied to other airports in the region.

"We must have smart regulations that protect passengers, but at the same time, are fair to the industry so it can remain competitive and grow ," he stressed.

Regarding the global situation, Cerdá points out that, although many Europeans have decided not to travel to the United States for the summer season, this represents an opportunity for Latin America.

"Many Canadian and European airlines have shifted their operations to Latin America. Air Canada, for example, announced flights to Cartagena. So, while this is bad news for one region, it's good news for us," he concluded.

Topics such as regulations, sustainability, and growth projections are critical to the future of the sector and were also on the event's agenda.

ANGIE RODRÍGUEZ - TRAVEL EDITORIAL - @ANGROD