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ALAS: a Step Towards a South American Single Sky
Rodolfo Echeverria
November 8, 2026
A Single Sky for South America is making progress across two tracks.
© Amar Preciado / Pexels
In mid-July, in Asunción, the civil aviation authorities of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Acuerdo de Liberalización Aérea Sudamericana (ALAS), launching a process toward a South American ‘Single Sky’ through progressively liberalized air services.
For airports, a Single Sky—which unifies and manages airspace as one continuous block rather than a patchwork of national zones, as in Europe—means a broader market and more flexibility for airlines to develop routes and deploy capacity.
Chile’s Junta de Aeronáutica Civil (JAC) says it intends to grant reciprocal traffic rights up to the ninth freedom, allowing airlines to operate domestic services in another participating country. Implementation is to be gradual and respect each country's legislation. The MoU establishes a framework; operating rights require further implementation.
More Countries, but Dual Tracks
The four-country group quickly expanded: Bolivia and Uruguay joined on 22 July during the executive committee meeting of the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (CLAC) in the Dominican Republic. Bolivia's Ministry of Public Works confirmed both accessions, describing the objective as a regional single aviation market. The framework remains open to other South American states.
In an interview with Mexico’s A21 in October, Óscar Villabona, the head of Argentina's Administración Nacional de Aviación Civil (ANAC), said his country would seek Mexico's participation within two months. He cited national legislative procedures and differing interpretations of liberalization as challenges, and the Mexican press noted two days later that cabotage remains restricted under Mexican law and that the initiative was far from under active consideration there. Therefore, this extension beyond South America remains prospective.
The signing of the MoU at Paraguay's Government Palace.
© DINAC
Not all of the continent is moving via ALAS. On September 30, the Commission of the Comunidad Andina (CAN), comprising Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, approved roadmaps toward a Cielo Único Andino (Andean Single Sky) and an intra-community cabotage regime, without timelines.
Bolivia therefore sits in both processes, while Colombia, Ecuador and Peru remain outside ALAS, as far as the public record shows. How the two tracks converge will matter for any airline network spanning both markets.
According to Chile’s JAC, an ALAS working group must present an implementation proposal within 12 months, covering mutual recognition of certificates and licenses, regulatory harmonization, air transport facilitation, passenger rights, environmental sustainability and infrastructure. These measures could remove administrative barriers that limit the practical value of market access.
A Potential Regional Boost
Airports Council International Latin America and Caribbean (ACI-LAC) has welcomed ALAS, urged every relevant country to join, and highlighted its potential to revive regional aviation beyond capital cities and major hubs, where underused secondary airports could host new bases and routes. Smaller airports could attract services where local demand and operating economics support them.
In a concrete bilateral advance, the JAC announced in late July that Chile and Brazil had extended seventh freedom rights, previously limited to cargo, to passenger services, with immediate administrative effect pending exchange of diplomatic notes. Designated airlines may fly between the other country and third countries without touching home territory. Cabotage remains excluded.
For airport executives, the response is to link route development with implementation monitoring: commercial teams identify credible airline opportunities, while management tracks the agreements and regulatory changes needed to make them executable. Investment should follow evidence of demand, airline commitment, and effective market access, with capacity added in stages.
ALAS offers South American airports a route toward broader market integration. However, success will depend on practical regulatory change, commercially sustainable airline services and the infrastructure to support them. Clear milestones will help distinguish regulatory progress from measurable commercial results.