A passenger who spends 45 minutes in an immigration queue doesn’t browse the duty-free. They run to the gate. That’s not just a bad experience — it’s lost revenue.
Across Latin America and the Caribbean, traffic is growing fast. The instinctive response is expansion — more gates, more terminals, more concrete. But Rafael Echevarne, Director General of ACI-LAC, challenges that reflex. According to him, airports are costly and underused for much of the day — peak demand is what creates congestion. The priority is therefore to use existing space as efficiently as possible before rushing to expand.
Technology first. Build later — if needed.
Biometrics and Frictionless Processing as Throughput Multipliers
Passenger congestion in LAC airports is often concentrated in narrow time bands — security, immigration, baggage control.
Reducing processing time at these critical control points immediately increases throughput.
“With the introduction of biometrics, our face is our passport,” says Echevarne.
In Dubai, you arrive, put your passport down, the door opens — no agent, no queue. “When you arrive in Dubai, you don’t need to speak to anyone. You put the passport, the door opens and you’re in Dubai,” he explains. That’s the standard ACI-LAC wants to see across the region. Singapore is already there too.
For Latin America and the Caribbean, the question is not feasibility. It is speed of deployment. “We believe at ACI that waiting times should be almost zero. There is no excuse.”
Technology becomes a capacity multiplier — allowing terminals to absorb higher volumes without immediate structural expansion.
From Operational Efficiency to Revenue Optimization
Passenger experience is not an aesthetic concern. It is an economic variable.
When passengers move through security and immigration quickly, they arrive at the commercial zone with time, attention and purchasing intent. When they face extended queues, their priority shifts to reaching the gate.
Rafael Echevarne is direct about the commercial chain reaction : “This experience makes the passenger feel so good that they spend more in the shops and restaurants — and that’s something very good for everyone.”
Operational efficiency and commercial performance are not separate objectives. One drives the other.
Non-Aeronautical Revenues as a Strategic Performance Indicator
Non-aeronautical revenues are a structural pillar of airport financial sustainability — but the opportunity goes further than the balance sheet.
The airport is the first physical impression of a destination. And what it sells, serves and showcases either reflects the richness of that territory, or it doesn’t. “It’s not just a question of having a shop, but of having a shop with the right products, with the things people want — and making sure that the culture and diversity of each island is reflected there,” says Echevarne.
Regional gastronomy, local craftsmanship, curated service environments : these are not decorative choices. They are commercial strategy and destination positioning in one. Technology helps here too — Echevarne notes that it allows each island to differentiate itself.
For smaller airports especially, non-aeronautical revenues can be the difference between financial viability and dependency.
Experience as Competitive Infrastructure
In a region where aviation underpins tourism, trade and economic integration, passenger experience evolves into strategic infrastructure.
Biometrics, digital processing and optimized passenger flow management are not simply operational upgrades. They are instruments of competitiveness.
For Rafael Echevarne, the next decade in Latin America and the Caribbean will not be defined solely by traffic growth. It will be shaped by how intelligently airports align technology deployment, capacity management and commercial strategy.
Passenger experience is no longer an auxiliary function.
It is the growth engine — and in LAC, it’s only just getting started.
