As football’s governing bodies prepare for the largest FIFA World Cup in history, aviation executives gathering in Rio de Janeiro for the IATA Annual General Meeting find themselves confronting a similar question.
The Americas have been handed home advantage. The United States, Mexico and Canada will host a tournament expected to attract millions of international visitors, while airlines across the hemisphere are adding capacity, opening routes and positioning themselves for a decade of growth. Yet as any football supporter knows, hosting the tournament does not guarantee lifting the trophy. Talent matters. Infrastructure matters. Execution matters even more.