From pilot to aeronautical consultant, Carlos Colunga has an unusual career in the Argentine market. With experience leading companies such as MacAir Jet and the creation of Avian Líneas Aéreas, he now applies his technical and strategic knowledge to model operations and help organizations fly with international standards. He sums it up like this: “Aviation is no longer a luxury: it can be infrastructure”.
News: You began your career as a pilot and then went on to lead large aeronautical companies. What values and learnings from your initial stage are still present today in your role as a consultant?
Carlos Colunga: As a pilot I learned 360º vision, calibrated risk management, command leadership and obsession with data and continuous improvement. Now, as a consultant, I apply those same values: I do not evaluate only numbers, but also chains of security and efficiency. Be calm in the face of the crisis, follow the protocol and learn from each failure so as not to repeat it. Those are the traits that last.
N: For more than three decades you were linked to the world of executive and then commercial aviation. How would you define your leadership style and how has it transformed over the years?
DC: My first years were in executive aviation: very rigid processes, high standards and with MacairJet we achieved it. Then, in commercial I went on to lead entire systems by delegating, and connecting the vision with the results. Today, as a consultant, my role is to facilitate that transformation: to be the link between the technical operation, the board of directors and the market.
N: One of the milestones of your career was at the head of MacAir Jet and then Avian Líneas Aéreas. What was your proudest project and why?
DC: My greatest pride is the vision of regional connectivity that we promote with Avian: routes such as Córdoba-San Juan, Rosario-Mendoza, not only Buenos Aires to the rest. For that we bought ATR 72-600. Although the network was not consolidated due to external factors, it was a demonstration of what aviation can be: an infrastructure that integrates an entire country.
N: Beyond operational or financial results, what does “success” in the aeronautical sector mean to you? How do you measure it and how do you experience it personally?
DC: For me, success is impact: medical flights, critical cargo, connectivity that saves lives or generates competitiveness. Not only transported passengers. Living it is knowing that the standards we apply today allow medical logistics or high priority shipping to really work.
N: There are few people who combine technical flight experience, executive management and business vision. How do you think that combination sets you apart in the industry?
DC: It’s weird, but it’s my advantage. Pilot, CEO, consultant: those three perspectives allow me to see the ‘what’ and the ‘how’. I can propose operational solutions that are strategic and profitable. In addition, we adapt global standards to Argentina. This positions me as a translator between security, economy and market.
N: When you look to the future, what personal legacy do you hope to leave in Argentine aviation? And how do you think the country will have to evolve to achieve it?
DC: I aspire for Argentine aviation to be a network, not just connections to Buenos Aires. I dream of an interconnected national network that transports people, critical cargo, essential services. To achieve this, the country must modernize its infrastructure, facilitate regulations and see aviation as a development opportunity, not just as a niche.
N: Finally, what advice would you give to a young professional entering the aeronautical world today and aspiring to lead like you?
DC: I would advise you to view aviation as an opportunity, not just a profession. Mainly, invest in international training, adopt operational discipline and learn to exercise leadership with humility. For me there are three concepts that have to become convictions: having a business vision, maintaining global standards and not moving away from a checklist-type discipline. With this you will be able to go from professional to leader, without a doubt.
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