Routes Americas 2025 Awards: The Destination And Airline Finalists

The Routes Americas 2025 Awards honor excellence in airport and destination marketing, featuring 15 airports, five destinations and five airlines as this year’s finalists.

The awards encompass six categories, including the Destination Award, which acknowledges the assistance destinations offer to their airline partners, and the Airline Award, which highlights the collaborative efforts crucial for successful and profitable routes.

Three awards are also on offer for airports, categorized by passenger volume—Under 5 Million, 5-20 Million and Over 20 Million. Additionally, an Overall Winner will be chosen from the list of winners.

The finalists in the Airport and Destination categories have been evaluated by a panel of airline judges, while the Airline category has been scored by an editorial panel. The winners will be announced on Feb. 11 at Routes Americas 2025, taking place in Nassau & Paradise Island, Bahamas.

DESTINATION

Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba

Aruba Tourism Authority played a pivotal role in expanding the island’s global connectivity in 2024, driving record-breaking growth and securing new airline partnerships. Through strategic investments exceeding $3 million in airline marketing, the organization helped launch new routes and elevate Aruba’s status as a premier travel destination in the Americas. Key achievements included the addition of direct flights from São Paulo (Gol Airlines) and Lima (LATAM Airlines Group). Expanded service from Bogotá, Medellín and Cali via Wingo and Avianca further strengthened Aruba’s presence in the region.

Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao

Curaçao welcomed more than 700,000 stayover visitors, a 20% increase over 2023 and a 51% recovery compared to pre-pandemic levels. Key developments included the introduction of new airline partners and expanded air service. Corendon launched 6X-weekly flights from Amsterdam, while Azul increased capacity from Belo Horizonte and introduced a new Fort Lauderdale route. Delta Air Lines resumed service from Atlanta after a decade and expanded to daily flights, while Wingo added new connections from Medellín and Bogotá. To support this momentum, the Curaçao Tourist Board established an airlift committee with key stakeholders.

Destination Canada, Canada

Destination Canada has played a key role in restoring and expanding international air connectivity, driving a five-fold increase in inbound seats and generating $362 million in economic impact since launching its air service recovery program in 2021. In 2024, Canada welcomed 32 million inbound seats and 10.2 million visitors, positioning it as one of the most recovered major markets post-pandemic. Through targeted marketing campaigns, Destination Canada supported 27 key routes, with 26 still operational in 2025, proving the long-term viability of its initiatives.

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, U.S.

Las Vegas achieved record-breaking air service growth in 2024, with 46 million O&D passengers at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), marking an all-time high. LVCVA’s strategic airline partnerships fueled this success, adding 5.6 million more airline seats since pre-pandemic levels, including 300,000 new seats in 2024 alone. By the end of 2024, 170 nonstop routes were available, a record for Las Vegas, with 27 international destinations tying the previous high. LAS welcomed three new airlines—Porter, Norse Atlantic and Aer Lingus—and launched 33 new routes.

ProColombia, Colombia

Colombia’s air connectivity reached record levels in 2024, welcoming 6.6 million international travelers, an 8.5% increase from 2023. ProColombia’s strategic efforts resulted in 26 new routes in 2024, including new connections to Georgetown, Guyana; Tulum, Mexico; and Chicago. The arrival of three new airlines—Emirates, GOL and World2Fly—marked another milestone in expanding international access. These efforts contributed to a 13% increase in international seats and a 10.8% rise in flight frequencies compared to 2023. Hosting Routes Americas 2024 in Bogotá further strengthened relationships.

AIRLINES

Avianca

Avianca launched 26 new routes and added service to nine new airports in 2024. The network expansion included first-time links to Tulum, Mexico; Georgetown, Guyana; and Buenos Aires Aeroparque, Argentina. The airline’s ASKs grew by 18%, with departures increasing 19% year-over-year, adding nearly 400 new weekly frequencies. By the end of 2024, Avianca operated 165 routes to 81 airports across 28 countries, with a balanced mix of 73 point-to-point and 92 hub-and-spoke connections. By leveraging its dual hub strategy in Bogotá and San Salvador, Avianca accelerated connectivity between Central and South America and key global markets.

Copa Airlines, Panama

Copa Airlines expanded its network to 85 destinations across 32 countries in 2024. The airline introduced new routes to Raleigh-Durham, U.S.; Florianópolis, Brazil; and Tulum, Mexico, contributing to a 10.5% growth in Available Seat Miles (ASM) year-over-year despite industry-wide aircraft delivery delays. Strategic partnerships with airports and tourism organizations, including Aruba, Curacao, and Medellín, have helped Copa Airlines increase international passenger traffic by 12% compared to 2022. Sustainability remains a core priority, with investments in fuel-efficient Boeing 737-8 aircraft, solar-powered hangars, and electric ground equipment.

Delta Air Lines

In 2024, Delta Air Lines significantly expanded its global network, enhancing connectivity across key markets. The airline launched a new route from Seattle to Taipei in June, strengthening its presence in Asia. Additionally, Delta announced two new transatlantic routes from Florida: Tampa to Amsterdam and Orlando to London Heathrow, both commencing in October. In Australia, Delta introduced direct flights between Los Angeles and Brisbane, while flights to Melbourne will commence during the winter 2025-26 season. Domestically, Delta received approval to operate a new route from Washington's Reagan National Airport to Seattle.

Southwest Airlines

In 2024, Southwest Airlines announced a partnership with Icelandair, marking its first international airline collaboration. The partnership will allow passengers to easily connect between the two carriers’ networks. Southwest also announced its first redeye flights last year as part of significant product changes that also will see the LCC implementing assigned seating, with the inaugural overnight flight set for Feb. 13. Other new network additions planned for 2025 include a new nonstop between Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) and Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport—one of five new long-distance routes that the U.S. Transportation Department has approved from DCA.

United Airlines

United Airlines has significantly expanded its global route network in recent years, with 32 new international destinations launched since 2017. A total of 26 routes have been added from the U.S. to Latin America and the Caribbean since 2019, while the airline’s domestic and Canadian network has undergone a transformation with larger gauge and a lower reliance on regional jet partners. New international destinations include Puerto Escondido, Mexico; Dominica; and Nuuk, Greenland. The airline also expanded its San Francisco hub with new routes to San Jose, Costa Rica; Panama City; and Monterrey, Mexico, leveraging its Pacific connectivity to open new one-stop travel options.