Tag Archives: Chile

LAN Airlines retires the Airbus A340-300

LAN Airlines (Chile) (Santiago) on Friday, April 17, 2015, operated its last Airbus A340-300 revenue flights. The planned last official flight, flight LA 800, was operated with the pictured Airbus A340-313 CC-CQF (msn 442) from Sydney and Auckland to Santiago, arriving at 12:35 (local time) on Runway 17L at Santiago International Airport. The last planned revenue flight was received with the typical water cannon salute (above) from the airport’s fire and rescue service.

Ironically, a few hours later, sister ship Airbus A340-313 CC-CQC (msn 363) was pressed into replacement revenue service and operated flight LA 642 to Lima, Peru.

It is expected the three remaining Airbus A340-300s will be leaving Chile in the near future.

LAN Airlines (Chile) aircraft slide show:

Teamsters: A number of LAN Airlines flights could be affected today

LAN Airlines (Chile) (Santiago) and its associated carriers in Latin America could be affected today (March 25) by “a series of actions” by its unions.

International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) has issued this statement:

A number of flights of South American LAN Airlines could be affected. The unions of LAN Airlines will begin a series of actions on Wednesday, March 25 in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Miami. To date the company has not responded to the union’s demands to improve working conditions. LAN Airlines workers are responsible for passenger safety, airplane maintenance, and customer connections in airports.

“National and international passengers could be subject to extensive delays and cancellations. Chile, Colombia and Ecuador are important hubs for the airline”. So reads the leaflets to be distributed to passengers visiting airports “Arturo Merino Benitez” (Santiago, Chile) and “El Dorado” (Bogotá, Colombia). In Ecuador, the leaflets will be distributed at “Mariscal Sucre” in Quito, and “Olmedo” in Guayaquil.

The conflict of the workers of LAN Airlines has gained support from many of the large transport unions in the United States. Teamsters Local 769 of Miami, other transport unions, and the community organization South Florida Voices for Working Families will be joining others in handing out information at the 2015 Sony Open tennis tournament in Miami, Florida. LAN Airlines is an official sponsor of the event. Leaflets will alert the public about the conditions of the LAN Airlines workers and the potential delays that could affect those attending the tennis tournament.

Chile, Colombia and Ecuador are important connecting hubs to flights throughout Latin America according to Luis Chavez, President of the LAN Express union in Chile. “These difficulties are preventable and predictable. The problems are cascading due to LAN Airlines refusal to provide fair conditions for their workers.”

Workers will be asking passengers and cargo users throughout the region to call the company’s toll free numbers to find out the latest information about the possible delays and cancellations. Passengers may also want to suggest that the company be responsible and provide fair conditions for workers at the airline.

The LAN Airline unions involved are members of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) representing more than 4.5 million transport workers from 150 countries around the world. The company, the LATAM Airline Group, includes both Chilean LAN Airlines and Brazilian TAM Airlines and is the largest airline company in Latin America.

Possible Strike in LAN Express Chile

On Wednesday March 25, a general assembly of the Union of LAN Express will take place at the Santiago airport. Leaders of unions throughout Latin America and Chile will attend the meeting. The General Assembly could affect the operations of all of the country’s airports and international connections.

On Monday March 30 and Tuesday March 31 the workers of LAN Express union will vote on whether to strike.

The Chilean workers are seeking both improvements in their own working conditions and also the reinstatement of the leader of the LAN Ecuador union, Jimena Lopez.

Conflict in Ecuador

Since October 2014 demonstrations and protests have erupted throughout the region because LAN Ecuador unjustly dismissed the founder, flight attendant and general secretary of the first aviation union in Ecuador, Jimena Lopez.

LAN Ecuador refuses to reinstate her, even though Carlos Marx Carrasco, Minister of Labour and the President Rafael Correa government have called the company’s actions unconstitutional and counter to Ecuadorian labour law and international labour standards.

Conflict in Colombia

In Colombia the company is laying off experienced mechanics and cargo workers. The union is taking action. Passengers in Colombia will also be warned about potential delays in their flights.

Copyright Photo: Ken Petersen/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 767-31B ER CC-CXL (msn 26265) touches down at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

LAN Airlines (Chile) aircraft slide show:

LAN Airlines to retire the last Airbus A340-300

LAN Airlines (Chile) (Santiago) is getting ready to replace its aging Airbus A340-300s (above) with the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners (below). The venerable A340s are currently assigned to the long-range Santiago-Auckland-Sydney Southern Hemisphere trans-Pacific route.

The last regularly-scheduled revenue flight is currently scheduled for the morning of April 17 when flight LA 800 arrives from Auckland at 11:35 am (1135) in Santiago. However the A340 may be kept as a reserve aircraft after this last scheduled flight, pending any last minute changes.

The Chilean carrier took delivery of its first stretched Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (CC-BGA) on February 5.

In other news, LAN Airlines on January 27, 2016 will start to operate a weekly Boeing 787 flight on the Santiago-Caracas-Miami (on Wednesdays) route per Airline Route.

Top Copyright Photo: Alvaro Romero/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A340-313 CC-CQC (msn 363) arrives back at the Santiago (SCL) hub.

LAN Airlines (Chile) aircraft slide show:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Steve Bailey/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner CC-BGB (msn 35318) prepares to depart from Paine Field on a test flight on March 6. It is pending delivery to the carrier.

The Guardian: Chilean mountaineers find the wreckage of LAN Chile DC-3 CC-CLDP in the Andes

LAN Chile (now LAN Airlines) (Santiago) flight 210 operated with Douglas C-47A-DL (DC-3) CC-CLDP (msn 9716) crashed in the Andes Mountains on April 3, 1961 on a flight from Temuco to Santiago, Chile. According to Wikipedia, all 24 people on the DC-3 were killed, including eight professional soccer players and two members of the coaching staff from CD Green Cross.

At the time, the crash was Chile’s worst ever aviation disaster. The wreckage has remained undiscovered until this month.

According to this report by The Guardian, the wreckage has been discovered by Chilean mountaineers at an altitude of 10,500 feet and approximately 215 miles south of Santiago.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

However contributor, aviation writer and photographer Alvaro Romero of Chile disputes the article published in The Guardian with this comment and photo:

Please find a photo (above) taken straight from the air investigation after the crash of LAN Douglas DC-3 CC-CLDP on April 3 1961. The remains of the aircraft were located on the hill known as Lástimas del Pejerrey, 7 days after the accident (71°10 W 35°5 S). Of the 24 persons on board (four crewmembers and 20 passengers) only the remains of 18 were identified, most of them were with burned flesh, with pieces of clothing that were recognized by their relatives.

It was stated that the crash was because of a number of contributing factors: poor design of Airway 45 (that was too close to the mountains), the deviation of the aircraft because of strong winds from the West, lack of anti-icing devices on wings – these were deleted on LAN-Chile DC-3s), poor quality and too much distance between radio beacons of Victoria and Curicó, lack of IFR training of co-pilots increasing workload on the pilots, use of air frequencies of LAN not only for pilots-land contacts but also for internal, administrative communications, etc.

Recently some in the media have published enthusiastic news regarding the “discovery” of the aircraft remains, even stating these were not found and saying it was a sort of a solved mystery, that’s far beyond the truth.

Thank you Alvaro.

Copyright Photo: Alvaro Romero/AirlinersGallery.com. Sister ship Douglas C-47A-DK (DC-3) CC-CLDT (msn 13296) is preserved in Santiago at the Museu Aeronautico y del Espacio de Chile.

LAN Airlines – LAN Chile aircraft slide show:

LAN Airlines takes delivery of its first Airbus A321, arrives in Santiago

LAN Airlines (Chile) (Santiago), part of LATAM Airlines Group, celebrated the arrival of its first Airbus A321 today (December 5) at Santiago’s Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport.

According to the airline, “This marks a significant milestone as LATAM Airlines affirms its regional and global presence as the largest A320 operator in Latin America. The aircraft, the first of 48 of its kind ordered by the airline, will be operated on domestic routes within Chile and joins LATAM Group’s existing fleet of nearly 230 A320 Family aircraft in operation.”

The A321 aircraft ordered by LAN have a one-class configuration with 220 seats and feature a new LATAM Airlines Group’s cabin, which is a blend of LAN and TAM cabin designs.

The A321 allows for an extended operating range of up to 3,200 nautical miles while carrying a maximum passenger payload; all of which will enhance the efficiency of LAN’s operations within Chile.

Copyright Photo: Gerd Beilfuss/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured Airbus A321-211 D-AVXO (msn 6364) was officially handed over at Hamburg (Finkenwerder) on November 22 as CC-BEA before its long journey to Chile.

LAN Airlines aircraft slide show:

PAL Airlines stops flying mining charters

PAL Airlines (Santiago) has ceased flying mining charters. In early August, sources inside the airline said they will no longer fly domestic charters, becoming a ground services provider and possibly, operating the southern hemisphere charters to tropical destinations, blaming the current economic situation in Chile, the open skies policy and the stop in mining investments.

This happened after losing its AOC for the second time in the year.

A mining charter flight was operated on August 4. This is likely the last flight.

The airline has shut down its website.

The Chilean airline started operations in 2003 as Principal Airlines-Aerolinea Principal de Chile.

Thanks to Alvaro Romero, reporting from Chile.

Copyright Photo: Alvaro Romero/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-2K9 CC-ACD 9msn 23404) is pictured in the past at the Santiago base.

PAL Airlines:

PAL Airlines of Chile suspends operations

PAL Airlines (Santiago) on May 27 saw its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) suspended because the local DGAC (Chile’s Civil Aviation Directorate) detected the airline did not accomplish technical requirements that may risk the operational safety of the airline if these issues are not corrected. The DGAC decided to stop all PAL Airlines operations until these issues are corrected. According to DGAC, PAL Airlines is working to recover its AOC in the coming days.

Here is the statement by the AGAC (translated from Spanish):

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reports that according to the audits that are usually performed, the audits revealed that Principal Chile SA Airlines (PAL) has failed to comply with the technical requirements for its Air Operators Certification (AOC). Therefore its operation could jeopardize security if detected problems are not solved.

Therefore, citizens of Chile are informed that if these problems are not resolved, all air operations of this company will be suspended until the company hows its ability to comply with the technical requirements of aviation regulations .

The company is committed to provide a solution, as soon as possible, to the problems identified so as to continue to operate with the utmost safety .

The DGAC regrets the inconvenience this may cause, but the obligation of the Aeronautics Division is to ensure aviation safety.

Meanwhile PAL Airlines has stated it is working hard to relocate its maintenance facilities to another area of Santiago Airport (the original facilities were already demolished).

PAL is working hard to recover its AOC and expects to obtain it again in the next 4-5 days.

PAL Airlines has issued this statement about its efforts to restore its AOC (in Spanish): CLICK HERE

Special thanks to Alvaro Romero reporting from Chile.

Copyright Photo: Alvaro Romero/ModoCharlie.com. Ex-United Boeing 737-322 CC-ACE (msn 24669) completes its final approach back to the Santiago hub.

PAL Airlines:

Xtra Airways is operating two Boeing 737-400s for One Airlines of Chile

Xtra Airways (Boise, Idaho) is now operating two of its Boeing 737-400s (N279AD and N42XA) for newcomer One Airlines of Chile.

One Airlines (Santiago) began charter operations on October 25 linking Santiago with Concepción in southern Chile and also to cities like Antofagasta and Calama in the northern part of the country, where the main mining investments are located.

Copyright Photo: Alvaro Romero/ModoCharlie.com. Boeing 737-4Q8 N279AD (msn 26279) rests between assignments at Santiago. The airliner is fully painted in the colors of the new charter airline. N279AD was formerly operated for DirectAir.

Xtra Airways: