Business aviation in Latin America is moving into a more mature phase, where travel by private jet is increasingly being viewed as a tool that those with the means can use to buy back their time and run their businesses more effectively.
Gabriel Meza Madrid, CEO of Dubai-based charter and aircraft management firm Jet Luxe, says he sees the trend playing out every day. “Mexico and Brazil are the two top markets,” he said. “In the past, many clients relied on charter. Now more of them want fractional ownership or full ownership. They want more control because they see the impact this type of travel has on their businesses and lives.”
Madrid described one Jet Luxe client who tested the company’s jet card for six months, and then stepped up to fractional ownership because he wanted more say in how the aircraft was maintained and cared for. The shift, said Madrid, signals a market that is growing up, with more attention being paid by clients to details surrounding safety, standards, and predictability.
Shifting demand
Industry data supports the idea that Brazil sits near the center of the business aviation map. JetAviva, the US-based aircraft sales and advisory firm, said Brazil is now home to more than 1,100 business jets, second in the world only to the United States. Airbus Corporate Jets has also pointed to Brazil and Mexico as the region’s top two markets.
JetAviva is betting accordingly. In a February 5, 2026, announcement, the company said it is making Brazil a strategic priority heading into this year, with Managing Director Timon Huber, a Brazilian native and a longtime Embraer veteran, leading growth efforts across Latin America while splitting time between Fort Lauderdale and Rio de Janeiro.
Demand in the region accelerated during Covid, and Jet Luxe found that it never really subsided. New customers still enter the market daily. At the same time, trip profiles are changing. More Latin American customers now fly to Asia and Europe, which is driving demand for large-cabin jets offering more range and comfort, Madrid said. Then there is the geography problem. Latin America has major business centers, but it also has big gaps in airline connectivity, especially when travelers need to reach multiple cities on a compressed schedule.
Madrid told the story of a Mexico City-based client with a factory in Monterrey and regular business in Los Cabos. Airline travel turned the mission into a week-long grind. Private aviation cut the travel time to two days, which gave the customer time back to run the business. Madrid said he has watched many clients’ businesses grow significantly after switching to using business aviation. “Five to seven years after they start flying private, their businesses have really grown,” he said. “Not everyone, but most of our clients say it helps their business.”
Challenges still exist
Unlike in the United States and Europe, business jet operations in Latin America can become complicated fast, since every country plays by its own set of rules. Madrid said Colombia often requires careful planning for permits. Venezuela can take time due to landing permits and insurance requirements. Cuba used to be far more difficult, but he said it has improved in recent years, and many operators route through Cozumel, Mexico, as a practical entry and exit point. Fuel shortages like those making headlines in Cuba do happen in the islands, he said, but good planning solves most of those problems.
More demand also attracts more “cheap” offers, and that can mislead users, he said. Madrid often encounters price-sensitive customers who don’t always understand how closely linked price can be with ensuring proper operator approvals, insurance, crew training, maintenance standards, and oversight. The cheap option, he said, can look like the best deal, but it can also carry the most risk.
Another pressure point sits on the horizon. The 2026 World Cup will spread matches across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and operators already expect a surge in traffic and congestion. Madrid expects heavy demand on Mexico-US-Canada travel during the tournament window, and said support services in Mexico will need to keep up with the additional jet traffic.
The region can still present issues and challenges, but Latin America’s private jet market is gaining in sophistication. As more flyers across the region move up to private travel and start demanding higher standards, that momentum is only expected to accelerate, as Latin America continues to be one of business aviation’s most important growth markets.