IATA Expands Cargo Services in Brazil, Mexico, and Paraguay | News

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is expanding the presence of its cargo offerings in Latin America, including the Cargo Accounts Settlement Systems (CASS). Cargo tonne kilometers for carriers based in the region grew an average 3.3% 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:

Mexico

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).

Paraguay

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.

Brazil

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.

“IATA has for decades actively supported airlines in Latin America with streamlined payment and settlement systems. The cargo industry has long recognized 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 Rodríguez, IATA’s Executive Director for Financial Services, BSP & CASS.

About CASS

CASS plays a vital role in streamlining the global movement of air cargo by simplifying the billing and settlement of accounts between airlines and freight forwarders. This is managed through CASSLink, an advanced global, web-based e-billing solution.

In 2025, CASS processed USD 47.5 billion, with an on-time settlement rate of 100%. Globally, IATA operates 89 CASS Export operations, 9 CASS Import operations, and 2 CASS Domestic operations, including the newly launched Mexico Domestic CASS.