Category Archives: TAM Brasil (TAM Linhas Aereas)

TAM signs MOU for 20 A320 Family aircraft and five A350-900s

Copyright Photo: Marcelo F. De Biasi. Please click on photo for full view, information and other photos.

TAM Airlines (TAM Linhas Aereas) (Sao Paulo), Airbusโ€™ biggest customer in the southern hemisphere and Brazilโ€™s largest airline company, announced an order for 20 new Airbus A320 Family and five A350-900 aircraft, bringing the Brazilian airlineโ€™s total Airbus orders to 176 aircraft, including 134 A320 Family, 15 A330-200s and 27 A350 XWB aircraft. The Memorandum of Understanding outlining the order was signed during the ILA Air Show in Berlin.

The new A350-900 aircraft will be powered by Rolls Royce engines. TAM is yet to select engines for the new 20 A320 Family aircraft. The airline currently operates its existing fleet of A320 Family with both CFM and IAE engines.

TAMโ€™s incremental A320 Family aircraft order will, in accordance with the airlineโ€™s fleet plan, replace existing A320 Family aircraft as part of their commitment to keep an average fleet age of six years. Both the A320 Family and A350 XWBs fleet will serve the carrierโ€™s existing routes.

TAM to create a holding company

TAM Linhas Aereas (Sao Paulo) is creating a holding company according to this Reuters report.

Read the full report:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idCNN3121638420100331?rpc=44

In other news, TAM is looking at acquiring 20 aircraft in the 100 to 150-seat range as part of a new plan to expand the operation of recently acquired regional carrier Pantanal Linhas Aereas according to Flightglobal.

Read the full report:

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/01/340188/tam-plans-to-acquire-20-aircraft-for-pantanal-unit.html

TAM Airlines (TAM Linhas Aereas) is in talks to buy a share of LAN Airlines

TAM Airlines (TAM Linhas Aereas) is in talks to acquire a share of LAN Airlines (Santiago)ย owned by President-elect Sebastian Pinera, Brazilian magazine Exame reported late on Thursday on its website according to Reuters.ย TAM is interested in acquiring a 19 percent stake in LAN held by Pinera’s holding company Axxion.

News link:

www.reuters.com/article/idCNN2914427120100129?rpc=44

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum.

TAM buys Pantanal for $7.3 million

TAM Airlines (Sao Paulo) has acquired Pantanal Linhas Aereas (Sao Paulo) for $7.3 million and will develop the small airline into a much larger feeder airline. Ironically TAM started as an air taxi company and later a regional carrier.

Please click on the AG icon for a direct link to the TAM photo gallery.

News link:

www.reuters.com/article/idCNN2123746620091221?rpc=44

Virgin America is operating N623VA in TAM colors

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N623VA rests overnight at the gate at the San Francisco base.  Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin.

N623VA rests overnight at the San Francisco base. Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin.

Virgin America (San Francisco) leased its Airbus A320-214 N623VA (msn 2740) to TAM Brasil (TAM Linhas Aereas) on June 6, 2007. ย The leased aircraft returned to Virgin America on December 18, 2008 and is being operated still in TAM’s old 1999 colors with small “Operated by Virgin America” stickers.