Santiago, Chile-based LATAM Airlines – the largest Latin American carrier – expects to have a cargo fleet of 21 aircraft by 2023 as it continues to convert more of its planes into freighters to bolster its status as the top transporter of goods from the region, including Chilean salmon.
In March, the airline announced it would adapt eight Boeing 767-300ER aircraft into Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF) in the next three years, and the company recently announced it will now add two more to the lineup. Upon plan completion, LATAM will have nearly doubled its freighter capacity, while also reducing the average fleet age to 14 years from 17, the company said in a release.
"The decision to expand our fleet is based on the attractive growth opportunities available, recent efficiency improvements, and flexibility that the Boeing 767F freighter offers," LATAM Cargo CEO Andrés Bianchi said. “Thanks to these elements, we believe we will grow profitably, even if facing conditions similar to those that we faced before the pandemic.”
When the COVID-19 crisis first hit Chile, salmon producers faced problems in shipping product as international borders began closing. At the same time, LATAM was forced to drastically reduce operations due to plunging passenger numbers, and in May 2020, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The process did not disrupt its cargo business, and in fact, like many other airlines, it decided to redouble its focus on cargo transport, solidifying its position as the leading group of cargo operators in South America. According to LATAM Cargo Network and Alliances Director Kamal Hadad, the main plan is to increase connectivity between North and South America.
“In particular, capacity from Colombia and Ecuador will be strengthened to support the flower export industry. Additional flights to support Chilean salmon exports as well as import traffic into the country will also be reinforced. Capacity to and from Brazil will also go up as we add routes from North America and Europe, boosting both the export and import markets,” he said.
Data from Chile’s Civil Aeronautics Board, demonstrates that the LATAM group – including LATAM Chile, LATAM Cargo, LATAM Airlines, LATAM Argentina, LATAM Brasil, LATAM Ecuador, LATAM Paraguay, LATAM Peru, LATAM Cargo Brasil, and LATAM Cargo Colombia – moved 122 million metric tons (MT), or 50.5 percent, of the total 242 million MT in cargo export handled by airlines operating in Chile during the full-year 2020. The runner-up was Atlas Air, which moved 40.3 million MT.
Photo courtesy of LATAM Airlines
