IATA expands cargo services in Brazil, Mexico, and Paraguay
New Delhi, June 6
The International Air Transport Association is expanding the presence of its cargo offerings in Latin America, including the Cargo Accounts Settlement Systems.
Cargo tonne kilometres for carriers based in the region grew an average 3.3 per cent year-on-year in the 10 years to April 2026, resulting in a cumulative growth of 38.8% over the decade.
This underpins the following developments, according to an official release, in Mexico, the CASS Domestic operations began in April 2026 on the strong foundations laid by the CASS Export operations, which started in 1987. Mexico will be the second country, after the US, to roll out IATA FlexiPay, enabling real-time billing, secure prepayment, and flexible payment arrangements between airlines, cargo agents, and freight forwarders.
Mexico is one of the largest air cargo markets in the region. In 2025, the domestic air cargo segment transported over 125,000 tonnes of air cargo, accounting for 15.8% of the total tonnage transported from, to and within Mexico. In Q1 2026, domestic connectivity strengthened, with the fastest-growing routes including Monterrey-Mexico City International Airport (+50.9% YoY), Tijuana-Guadalajara (+36.0% YoY), and Mexico City International Airport-Hermosillo (+17.0% YoY), the release stated.
Meanwhile, CASS Export is planned to open in Paraguay in the last quarter of 2026, with strong industry uptake anticipated as cargo volumes grow.
While one of Latin America's smaller markets, Paraguay has recorded significant growth in volumes. In 2025, Paraguay transported over 42,000 tonnes of air cargo, up 225.3% YoY, the release noted.
Subsequently, IATA plans to introduce CASS Domestic in Brazil from early 2027. This builds on the strength of CASS Export, which has operated in the market for more than two decades.
In 2025, carriers serving Brazil transported over 791,000 tonnes of air cargo, of which 7.9% was domestic traffic. Overall, air cargo transported 5.9% of Brazil's exports by value in 2025, although these high-value, low-density exports accounted for only 0.3% of the total weight of Brazilian exports, the release added.
"IATA has for decades actively supported airlines in Latin America with streamlined payment and settlement systems. The cargo industry has long recognised the value of IATA's CASS and it now places its trust in IATA to support the growth of domestic markets in Brazil and Mexico and an emerging export market in Paraguay," said Juan Antonio Rodriguez, IATA's Executive Director for Financial Services, BSP & CASS.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Pakistan's air cargo sector is nowhere near these numbers. While Brazil alone does 791,000 tonnes and Mexico does 125,000 tonnes domestic, we struggle to match even a fraction of that. We need to look at how they've streamlined logistics and payments. Good learning for us. 🧐
Paraguay's 225% YoY growth in air cargo is insane! From a small base clearly, but shows how digital payment systems can unlock potential. IATA's work in standardizing cargo accounts is underrated—it's the backbone for trade efficiency. India should take notes for our tier-2 cities. 📈
While this is good for LatAm, I'd like to see IATA focus more on India's domestic cargo. Our e-commerce is booming—Flipkart, Amazon, Meesho—but cargo payments are still messy. CASS and FlexiPay could save crores in transaction costs. Waiting for such announcements for India! 🇮🇳
One small point—these numbers are impressive for LatAm, but we must remember that Brazil's domestic cargo is only 7.9% of total. Means most cargo is international. India's domestic: international ratio is quite different. We need tailored solutions, not just copy-paste. Still, FlexiPay sounds promising.
Mexico's Monterrey-Mexico City route growing 50% YoY! That's like Mumbai-Delhi growth. Our domestic air cargo has so much untapped potential—especially with dedicated freighters and better last-mile delivery. IATA should set up a regional
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