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LATAM exceeds 100 million COVID-19 vaccines transported free of charge in South America

The LATAM Group exceeded 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines transported free of charge within Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. The initiative is part of LATAM’s “Solidarity Plane,” a program that provides LATAM’s connectivity and passenger and cargo transport capacity for the benefit of South America at no cost.

With more than 10 years of history, LATAM’s “Solidarity Plane” program is part of the Shared Value pillar of the group’s sustainability strategy. It seeks to generate value in society through connectivity. To date, it has mobilized more than 2,400 health professionals and patients with urgent medical needs, and more than 770 tons of cargo, including medical supplies and vaccines, in South America.

Recently, an alliance was announced with solidarity organizations and civil societies in Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, making available to them the expertise, infrastructure, connectivity and speed of air transport through tickets and cargo transfer at no cost to the institutions in agreement. This collaboration will be replicated in Colombia in the coming weeks.

Other areas of action of “Solidarity Plane” are:

Health Solidarity Plane: Airlift to attend the transportation needs of patients, health professionals and medical supplies; or connecting a patient to a donor through the transport of organs, tissues, and stem cells.
Environmental Solidarity Plane: Transportation of flora and fauna for their protection, as well as the transfer of scientists and members of environmental NGOs who travel to protect the South American ecosystem.
Natural Disasters Solidarity Plane: Transfer of affected individuals and professionals who travel in support of disasters and humanitarian aid in the event of floods, fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods or volcanic eruptions.

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Top Copyright Photo: LATAM Cargo (Colombia) Boeing 767-316F ER WL N538LA (msn 34628) GRU (Rodrigo Cozzato). Image: 952153.

LATAM Airlines (Colombia) aircraft slide show:

LATAM Group to expand its Boeing 767-300F freighters fleet by 2023

LATAM Group announced the expansion of its freighter fleet growth under which it now plans to add 10 Boeing 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighters over the next three years. This will bring the fleet size to up to 21 freighters by 2023. The first aircraft will be expected to begin operations in December 2021.

The Group’s freighter fleet growth plan initially included four firm conversion orders with Boeing and another four conversion options. Two months after the initial announcement, LATAM has exercised the four options, eight planes, and the conversion of two additional Boeing 767-300ERs. This means that the freighter fleet will be comprised of up to 21 aircraft by the end of 2023. Upon completion of the plan the Group will have almost doubled its freighter capacity as well as reduced the average fleet age from 17 to 14 years.

Growing from 11 to 21 freighter planes will enable the LATAM Group’s cargo subsidiaries to expand and reinforce their capacity to, from and within South America, and positioning the Group as the main freighter operator group in the region. The first eight airplanes have been allocated to markets that are critical for key customer segments.

“In general terms, the majority of the plan focuses on improving 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”, said Kamal Hadad, LATAM Cargo’s Network and Alliances Director.

Hadad added that the freighter fleet flexibility will help LATAM assess a range of options. “For example, the two additional conversions could be used to refresh the current fleet or to begin new growth projects. The Group still has time to make the relevant decisions,” he concluded.

LATAM also announced that it will use some of the 767-300ERs that are awaiting conversion under a hybrid format to benefit customers in the short term. The seats will be completely removed from three planes for this purpose in order to have a payload of up to 46 tons per flight. Two of these planes are already operational. The third one is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2021.

Furthermore, LATAM is optimizing commonality across their fleet of 767-300 production and converted freighters to maximize capacity, including the ability to transport delicate goods.

Top Copyright Photo: LATAM Airlines Cargo (Chile) Boeing 767-316F ER WL N534LA (msn 32572) AMS (Ton Jochems). Image: 941889.

LATAM (Chile) aircraft slide show:

LATAM to continue transporting COVID-19 vaccines at no cost within the countries where it operates throughout 2021

LATAM has issued this statement:

LATAM Airlines Group reported that it will continue to transport vaccines at no cost within the countries where it operates throughout 2021 through its Solidarity Plane program.

To date, the group has transported over 23.7 million vaccines against COVID-19 within South America, through more than 300 flights in the domestic markets of Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru.

More than 50 towns have benefited from the doses, including those located in difficult access points including Easter Island in Chile, Galapagos in Ecuador, Iquitos in Peru. In Brazil, doses have been moved to all states, as a result of the country’s current health crisis.

After the arrival of the first shipments of vaccines to the region in December 2020, LATAM made the free transport of doses available to the authorities of the governments of the countries where it has domestic operations.

Since the beginning of the pandemic to date, Solidarity Plane has transported more than 480 tons of medical supplies, benefiting Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. At the same time, more than 1.400 organs and tissues were mobilized within South America and the transfer of stem cells was carried out for ten people with blood cancer, who were able to receive a second chance at life. In passenger transport, more than 1.300 health professionals were able to travel to meet different needs related to Covid-19 in the countries that LATAM operates with domestic flights.

Through LATAM Cargo, the group has transported over 48 million vaccines to South America and within the countries in which it operates. LATAM Cargo is the first airline in the American continent, and the only one in the region, to obtain the CEIV Pharma (IATA) certification. This voluntary certificate internationally certifies that facilities, equipment, operations and personnel meet all applicable standards, regulations and guidelines expected by pharmaceutical manufacturers

Last week, LATAM announced plans to continue transporting vaccines at no cost within the countries where it operates throughout 2021.

Top Copyright Photo: LATAM Cargo (Colombia) Boeing 767-316F ER WL N532LA (msn 30780) MIA (Brian McDonough). Image: 948957.

LATAM Airlines aircraft slide show:

Passenger travel in South America is hampered by border closures, air cargo surges

Surging cases of COVID-19 in South America is forcing governments to restrict between borders which is affecting air travel.

Chile has closed its borders for the month of April.

Bolivia has closed its border Brazil.

Peru had an Easter lockdown.

While passenger air travel remains low in South America, while air cargo is surging.

Previously LATAM Airlines Group announced a significant expansion of its cargo operations with the conversion of up to eight Boeing 767-300ER aircraft into Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF) in the next three years. This represents a freighter capacity growth of up to 80%. This plan seeks to increase the service options and leverage the synergies of operating a single type of aircraft.

The plan is divided in two gradual stages. The first phase is based on four confirmed conversion slots with Boeing with re-deliveries between 2021 and 2022. Upon completion of that phase, LATAM’s cargo operators’ fleet would reach a total of 15 Boeing 767-300ER freighters. The second phase includes four conversion options with Boeing that would allow aircraft to be added between 2022 and 2023. If all options are executed LATAM would operate a total of 19 767-300ER freighters.

“Despite the deep crisis the industry is enduring due to the pandemic, we maintain our commitment to support the region’s exporters and importers by providing them with more and better options to carry their cargo to their destinations. As a result, we growth plan have been accelerated with conversion of up to eight Boeing 767-300ERs in the next 30 months. This investment, together with the significant cost efficiencies that we have generated during the Chapter 11 process, puts us closer to achieving our aspiration of being the best alternative for cargo customers,” said Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM Airlines Group.

Andrés Bianchi, LATAM Cargo’s CEO, highlighted the advantages of the Boeing 767-300ER freighter. “Combining the passenger belly operations of LATAM Airlines Group with 15 to 19 Boeing 767-300ER freighters efficiently strengthens our customer value proposition. These conversions will enable the cargo affiliates to grow in key segments such the Colombian flower market or imports to Brazil. It also allows our affiliates to expand their network in domestic markets where e-commerce is rapidly generating an increase in air cargo traffic. Growing with Boeing 767-300CFs freighters is extremely efficient as it is the optimal aircraft for all these undertakings and we can take advantage of the benefit of operating a single fleet type.”

Throughout 2020, LATAM Cargo played an active and vital role in ensuring essential supplies reached Latin American countries, especially in places with extreme and difficult-to-access areas like in countries such as Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. LATAM also worked to safeguard the supply from the import and export sectors in South America, even increasing their shipment frequencies by more than 40% in some markets. To achieve these results, LATAM operated passenger planes for the exclusive transport of cargo.

In addition, during the pandemic, LATAM landed for the first time in China, searching for medical supplies for South America, ultimately making more than 80 flights to the Asian continent. LATAM currently continues to make trips to Europe and China to transport COVID-19 vaccines into the region, and the LATAM Group’s Solidarity Plane Program has made its resources available for the free transport of vaccines in domestic markets.

LATAM Cargo opens two new routes from Miami

LATAM Cargo today announced it will begin service on two new routes dedicated exclusively to cargo originating in the United States, thus increasing capacity from North America to Central and South America.

The new Miami-Panama-Bogota and Miami-Cali routes began operations on February 11. The routes will be served on a permanent basis, with two frequencies per week and will be operated by Boeing 767-300F aircraft. The new service will satisfy demand for general cargo, electronics, pharma and dangerous goods.

The Miami-Panama-Bogota route will consolidate the role of Panama as an importing country, and also increase its exporting potential by transporting cargo originating in the country to Bogota, Colombia, where it can connect with the many alternatives served by our narrow body fleet, or to Santiago (Chile), Lima (Peru) and Guarulhos (Brazil) on wide-body aircraft.

For its part, LATAM Cargo’s new Miami-Cali route will offer the possibility to carry shipments to Bogota, Colombia.

These new routes were announced together with a third cargo service between Miami and Lima (Peru), which also serves to advance the country’s role as an import market. Cargo service on that route began in late 2019 with a two-per-week frequency. This increase reflects a positive reception from the market for this service.

Top Copyright Photo: LATAM Cargo (Colombia) Boeing 767-316F ER WL N540LA (msn 35229) MIA (Ken Petersen). Image: 948857.

LATAM (Colombia) aircraft slide show: