This year’s conference, the 13th annual, will focus on the theme, both in terms of increasing aircraft utilization by reducing aircraft turn around times on the ground – but more importantly on the turnaround in the airline “business” in Latin America which has already begun with several airlines reporting 2004 profitability, including LAN, as well as Brazil’s profitable LCC, GOL, TAM, TACA, Copa and even CINTRA in Mexico. While it is still early in the process we anticipate that others that will be included in the “turnaround” are AVIANCA as it comes out of Chapter 11 before the end of 2004 , Varig as the government steps in to provide financing, Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela as it consolidates its “horizontal” equity alliances in Colombia, Costa Rica and Honduras (and possibly others yet to come) and several others. At the same time, the US LCC’s (ie Jetblue, Spirit) are discovering Central America and the Caribbean and stimulating the markets with attractive pricing, while GOL “Intelligent Airlines” in Brazil is doing the same thing in the domestic market and is now taking its concept abroad to Argentina and other markets in the region. And watch what happens as UAir and Pluna begin similar approaches from their base in Montevideo. And LAN Express, and Sky Airlines in Chile. So stay tuned. It really is “Turnaround Time” in Latin America.

The conference, in its 13th year, always attracts two to three dozen airline CEOs, top speakers and panel members and as many as 300 aviation-related delegates from the region, the United States, Europe and the Pacific, is by far the best networking opportunity for those of you interested in Latin America…“where the action is”.