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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced plans to expand its air cargo offerings in Latin America, particularly in Brazil, Mexico, and Paraguay. This includes the introduction of the Cargo Accounts Settlement Systems (CASS), which plays a central role in processing payments between airlines and freight forwarders. According to IATA, the freight ton kilometers of airlines based in the region grew by an average of 3.3% per year over the past ten years until April 2026, resulting in a cumulative growth of 38.8%.
Expansion of CASS services in Mexico
In Mexico, CASS domestic operations were launched in April 2026, building on the CASS export operations that have been in place since 1987. Mexico will be the second country after the United States to implement IATA FlexiPay. This system allows for real-time billing, secure advance payments, and flexible payment modalities between airlines, freight agents, and shippers. In 2025, the domestic air cargo market in Mexico transported over 125,000 tons, accounting for 15.8% of the total volume transported to and from Mexico. In the first quarter of 2026, there was a strengthening of domestic connections, with the fastest-growing routes being Monterrey-Mexico City (+50.9% compared to the previous year), Tijuana-Guadalajara (+36%), and Mexico City-Hermosillo (+17%).
Growth in Paraguay
In Paraguay, the CASS export operation will be launched in the last quarter of 2026, with strong interest from the industry expected as freight volumes increase. Although Paraguay is one of the smaller markets in Latin America, the country recorded significant growth in 2025, transporting over 42,000 tons of air cargo, representing an increase of 225.3% compared to the previous year.
Introduction in Brazil
IATA plans to introduce CASS domestic operations in Brazil in early 2027. This builds on the CASS export operations that have been active in this market for more than two decades. In 2025, airlines serving Brazil transported over 791,000 tons of air cargo, with 7.9% of the traffic accounted for by domestic flights. Overall, air cargo made up 5.9% of the value of Brazilian exports in 2025, although these high-value, low-density exports constituted only 0.3% of the total weight of Brazilian exports.
Juan Antonio Rodríguez, IATA Director of Financial Services, BSP & CASS, stated:
“IATA has supported airlines in Latin America with optimized payment and settlement systems for decades. The air cargo industry has long recognized the value of IATA’s CASS and now relies on IATA to support the growth of domestic markets in Brazil and Mexico, as well as an emerging export market in Paraguay.”
About the role of CASS
CASS plays a crucial role in simplifying the global movement of air cargo by streamlining the billing and account settlement between airlines and freight forwarders. This is managed through CASSLink, an advanced web-based e-billing solution. In 2025, CASS processed payments totaling USD 47.5 billion with a timely settlement rate of 100%. Worldwide, IATA operates 89 CASS export operations, 9 CASS import operations, and 2 CASS domestic operations, including the newly introduced CASS for domestic flights in Mexico.
