LATAM Airlines
| LATAM Airlines | |
|---|---|
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| IATA code : | LA |
| ICAO code : | LAN |
| Call sign : | LAN |
| Founding: | 1929 |
| Seat: |
Santiago de Chile , Chile
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| Turnstile : | |
| Home airport : | Santiago de Chile |
| Company form: | SA |
| IATA prefix code : | 045 |
| Management: | Enrique Cueto Plaza ( CEO ) |
| Number of employees: | 40,000 (2018) |
| Sales: | 7.32 billion euros (2017) |
| Passenger volume: | 67 million (2017) |
| Alliance : | no |
| Frequent Flyer Program : | LATAM Pass / LATAM Fidelidade (Brazil) |
| Fleet size: | 140 (+ 25 orders) |
| Aims: | 138 |
| Website: | www.latam.com |
LATAM Airlines is a Chilean airline based in Santiago de Chile and based at Santiago de Chile Airport . It is the largest South American airline. In 2012, LAN Airlines merged with the Brazilian TAM Linhas Aéreas . Both companies continue their flight operations under the names LATAM Airlines and LATAM Airlines Brasil and belong to the holding LATAM Airlines Group .
history
First years - Línea Aeropostal Santiago-Arica
The company was founded on March 5, 1929 in Santiago de Chile under the name Línea Aeropostal Santiago - Arica on behalf of Chilean President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo by Army Aviator (Aviación Militar) Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez . The aim was to establish passenger and mail transport in Chile and to open up the Chilean airspace with its own Chilean airline. The new airline was operated by the Servicio Aéreo division of the Army Forces under the command of Arturo Merino Benítez, after whom Santiago Airport is now named.
The first flight route led in 1929 from Santiago de Chile via Ovalle , Copiapó , Antofagasta and Iquique to Arica . The first aircraft were the De Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth . The new airline gained great popularity very quickly and in the first year it was able to carry 762 passengers. In 1930 the second flight route from Santiago de Chile via Concepción , Chillán and Temuco to Puerto Montt was opened and Ford 5 AT-C aircraft with a capacity of 17 passengers were procured. As a result, more than 5000 passengers are using the new airline in the second year of its existence.
1930s and 1940s - Línea Aérea Nacional
On July 21, 1932, the Chilean government passed Law No. 247 under which Línea Aeropostal Santiago - Arica became a state-owned company called Línea Aérea Nacional, LAN Chile . In the following years, LAN Chile purchased new Potez 56 , Curtiss T-32 Condor II , Fairchild FC-2 and 1938 Junkers Ju 86 aircraft . In 1936 LAN Chile took over the Curtiss Wright Export Company's aircraft factory at Los Cerillos Airport in Santiago, which LAN Chile then served as a maintenance base for many years. In 1941, LAN Chile expanded its fleet with the twin-engine Lockheed Electra L-10A in order to intensify the regular service to Concepción and other cities. The first Lockheed Lodestar C-60 machines followed in 1943 , and LAN Chile flew this type for the first time on October 7, 1943 from Santiago to Antofagasta. In 1945 the flight route to Punta Arenas in Patagonia was added. Short-haul flights from Punta Arenas to Porvenir on Tierra del Fuego , later also to Puerto Natales and Springhill (Tierra del Fuego) . In 1946 LAN Chile received the Douglas DC-3 and opened the first international route to Buenos Aires in Argentina and later to Montevideo in Uruguay. Furthermore, the fleet was expanded by the twin-engine Martin 2-0-2 and the De Havilland DH.104 Dove by 1950 .
Development in the 1950s and 1960s
In 1953, new international flight routes to Lima in Perú and La Paz in Bolivia , as well as national connections to Palena , Futaleufú , Chile Chico and Cochrane were opened.
In 1955, LAN Chile acquired the four-engine Douglas DC-6 with a capacity of 80 passengers for its fleet , which made it possible for the first time to offer additional routes as direct flights from Santiago to the north to Arica and Antofagasta and to the south to Punta Arenas . With this type of aircraft, LAN Chile was also able to be the first airline to operate a commercial flight over Antarctica .
In August 1958 the first long-haul flight to Miami in the USA took place , with stops in Lima and Panama City . After the great earthquake in Chile in 1960 , LAN Chile built an airlift to the south of Chile in order to quickly transport relief supplies to the affected areas.
In March 1964 LAN Chile received Sud Aviation Caravelle VI-R, its first jet-powered passenger aircraft. April 3, 1967, with the first flight to Easter Island, represented a milestone in Chilean aviation history, as the Chilean mainland was connected to the Chilean islands in the South Pacific for the first time. A year later, this route was extended via Easter Island to Tahiti in French Polynesia . In April 1967 LAN Chile also received its first Boeing 707-330B , with which the liner service to New York began. The Boeing 707 was bought by Deutsche Lufthansa . In August 1967 LAN Chile expanded its fleet to include the British Hawker Siddeley HS 748 . In 1968 the Boeing 727 was added, with which the international routes to Rio de Janeiro , Asunción and Cali were opened in 1969 .
Development in the 1970s and 1980s
In 1970, the Douglas DC-6, which had previously served the South Pacific route to Tahiti, was replaced by a new Boeing 707. In the course of this, the first international connections to Europe with the destinations Madrid , Paris , Frankfurt am Main and Zurich were opened . Since then, LAN has been flying daily from Frankfurt to Santiago de Chile with a stopover in Madrid.
On February 10, 1974, LAN Chile reached another milestone in aviation history, when it flew for the first time from Punta Arenas in South America non-stop (transpolar route) to Sydney in Australia . In the early 1980s, the fleet was renewed with Boeing 737-200 and McDonnell Douglas DC 10-30 . As part of economic reforms in Chile in the 1980s, it was decided to privatize LAN Chile. Thus, on December 30, 1983, the airline was first converted into a sociedad de responsabilidad limitada , and then on August 20, 1985 into a sociedad anónima (SA) .
In 1986 the old DC-10s that served the routes to the USA were replaced by new Boeing 767-200ERs . In December 1988 LAN Chile leased a Boeing 747-100 and opened a new route to Los Angeles . In September 1989 LAN Chile was finally privatized and 51% of the shares were sold.
Development in the 1990s
In 1990 the company slipped into a serious crisis, so that its Boeing 707 fleet was seized and some aircraft were sold to the Chilean Air Force and Fast Air Carrier SA.
As a result, a major modernization process began in the company. On May 31, 1994, shareholders voted in favor of a capital increase of $ 20 million to raise new cash for the company. That year the airline's operations began to pick up again, the company was reorganized, financial liabilities readjusted and the leasing contracts for the aircraft renegotiated. In the course of this development, LAN Chile acquired the BAe 146-200 aircraft , which was then used to serve a large part of the inner-Chilean routes. A cooperation agreement was also signed with Air New Zealand in February 1994 in order to be able to offer connections to Australia , New Zealand and the South Pacific via Papeete on Tahiti . In the same year, the route network was further consolidated.
On May 26, 1994, LAN Chile took over the cargo airline Fast Air and was completely privatized. On July 30, 1995, the new route to La Serena was opened and on August 7th to Valdivia , which were immediately served daily. The first Boeing 767-300ER aircraft was also procured for the fleet. In 1996, the connections to Asunción , Paraguay and Guayaquil , Ecuador , were reopened, which had been closed in 1978. It also opened up access to the Caribbean with new tourist destinations such as Mexico City and Cancun in Mexico , as well as Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic . In 1997 LAN Chile took over its largest competitor, Ladeco , which operated exclusively within Chile . In the following year, LAN Chile merged the Ladeco and Fast Air brands and integrated them into the company as Ladeco and Ladeco Cargo. In 2001 the brands were replaced by LAN Express and LAN Cargo .
In September 1997, LAN Chile signed a cooperation agreement with American Airlines , which included a code-sharing agreement between the USA and Chile and the possibility for passengers to use the mutual frequent flyer programs LANPASS and AAdvantage . On November 7, 1997, LAN sold 48,250,000 shares at a price of CLP 1,172 , equivalent to $ 2.80 per share. Of these, 35,750,000 shares were sold in New York and 12,500,000 shares in Chile. The workforce bought $ 4 million worth of LAN stock. This made LAN the first Latin American airline to trade on the NYSE .
By the end of 1997 the fleet consisted of 10 Boeing 767-300ERs, 14 Boeing 737-200A , 1 Boeing 737-200C and 5 DC-8F . This year the company decided to standardize the fleet in order to save costs in operation and maintenance. The cabins were standardized and the Boeing 767-300ER was used for long-haul routes and the Boeing 737-200 for short-haul routes. In the following two years, another 5 Boeing 767-300ERs were procured.
On June 4, 1998, the entire fleet was redesigned and all aircraft cabins were overhauled. The firm Davies & Baron from England was contested, which had made a name for itself with its designs with British Airways , Australian Airlines and Air New Zealand, among others . In addition, a new motto was introduced: "El espíritu del sur del mundo". That year it was also decided to change the strategy and procured 20 Airbus A320 aircraft to replace the aging Boeing 737s. A further decision was made to purchase seven Airbus A340-300s for long-haul flights and options for a further 14 machines of this type. This allowed the airline to offer its passengers three classes, so the aircraft were equipped with 5 seats in First Class , 36 seats in Business Class and 228 seats in Economy Class .
On July 2, 1999, LAN Chile founded its first international subsidiary, LAN Perú SA , with regional flights within Perús, and on November 19 with international connections from Lima .
History since 2000
In the first few years of the new century, LAN Chile founded further subsidiaries: LAN Ecuador , LAN Argentina and LAN Dominicana . With the exception of the latter, both subsidiaries still offer domestic services and now also non-stop connections to the USA and Spain. A close cooperation with American Airlines paved the way for LanChile to join the Oneworld Alliance, LAN operates code sharing with Oneworld members American Airlines, British Airways , Iberia and Qantas Airways and also with Alaska Airlines , Mexicana and Aeroméxico .
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On September 8, 2004, LAN Chile renamed itself to LAN Airlines in order to illustrate the company's operations in several countries in a kind of network (whereby the subsidiaries operating in Peru, Ecuador and Argentina are still owned by the Chilean mother and none represent real partners). The respective country name after the abbreviation was dropped and a new corporate identity was introduced at the same time . Logo is a silver star on a blue background. The frequent flyer program is called "LanPass".
On May 6, 2010, it was announced that LAN Airlines will help build the Colombian airline AerOasis . In October 2010 it was announced that LAN would also take over the Colombian AIRES and integrate it into the new merged LATAM in the medium term . The plan to set up the airline AerOasis was abandoned in favor of the establishment of LAN Colombia in 2011. LAN Colombia emerged from Aires, which was founded in 1981.
On August 13, 2010, LAN announced the merger with TAM Linhas Aéreas . In mid-December 2011, the Brazilian authorities approved the merger after Chile had given the go-ahead. The merger to form the LATAM Airlines Group took place in June 2012.
On May 1, 2020, Latam Airlines left the Oneworld alliance.
Latam filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States on May 26, 2020 . The voluntary submission to this insolvency law regulates a reorganization of the company's finances monitored by the court. As with Avianca , this announcement is one of the direct consequences of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic . In addition to restructuring the debt of 18 billion US dollars, efforts are also being made to downsize the airline, which is why Latam Brasil announced the layoff of at least 2,700 employees in Brazil in early August 2020.
Destinations
The home airport is Santiago de Chile . The focus is on domestic flights, flights within South America and between South America and the USA. In Europe, there are flights to Madrid and Frankfurt am Main (with a stopover in Madrid), as well as Milan (with a stopover in Guarulhos, São Paulo).
fleet
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Current fleet
As of March 2020, the LATAM Airlines fleet consists of 140 aircraft with an average age of 8.0 years:
| Aircraft type | active | ordered | Remarks | Seats ( Business / Eco + / Eco ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319-100 | 18th | 144 (- / - / 144) | ||
| Airbus A320-200 | 54 | CC-BAC in Oneworld livery | 168 (- / - / 168) 174 (- / - / 174) |
|
| Airbus A320neo | 7th | 5 | 174 (- / - / 174) | |
| Airbus A321-200 | 18th | 220 (- / - / 220) | ||
| Airbus A321neo | 10 | - open - | ||
| Boeing 767-300ER | 10 | 220 (30 / - / 191) | ||
| 1 | 238 (20 / - / 218) | |||
| 1 | 238 (18 / - / 220) | |||
| 5 | 231 (20 / - / 211) | |||
| Boeing 787-8 | 10 | first operator in America; one inactive | 247 (30 / - / 217) | |
| Boeing 787-9 | 14th | 313 (30 / - / 283) | ||
| 2 | 10 | 303 (30/57/216) | ||
| total | 140 | 25th |
Former aircraft types
In the founding years , 12 De Havilland DH.60 Moth aircraft were used. Seven four-seat Fairchild aircraft and two Ford Trimotor were later added. Also in the 1930s, six Lockheed Electra and three Potez 63 made their way into LAN's inventory.
In the first quarter of 1973 LAN Chile's fleet consisted of three DC-3s, one Douglas DC-6B, three Caravelle 6Ns, nine Hawker Siddeley HS.748s, four Boeing 727s and two Boeing 707s.
Trivia
- LATAM is the only airline in the world to operate scheduled flights to Easter Island . The flight route leads from Santiago to Easter Island and every Monday to Papeete (PPT), Tahiti .
Incidents
From 1944 to the end of 2017, LAN Chile and LATAM Airlines suffered 18 total aircraft losses. 151 people were killed. Examples:
- On April 3, 1961, a Douglas DC-3C from LAN Chile ( aircraft registration CC-CLDP) flew from Temuco (Chile) to Santiago de Chile in the La Gotera hill in the Andes . All 24 people on board were killed. The wreck of the machine was found on April 10, 1961. The fuselage was discovered in February 2015 (see also LAN Chile flight 210 ) .
- On February 6, 1965, a Douglas DC-6 B of LAN Chile (CC-CCG) flew from Santiago de Chile-Los Cerrillos Airport to Buenos Aires-Ezeiza while climbing at an altitude of 3600 meters (12,000 feet ) against the stratovolcano San José, 80 kilometers east-southeast of Santiago de Chile. All 80 passengers and 7 crew members were killed.
- On August 4, 1987, a Boeing 737-200 of LAN Chile (CC-CHJ) touched down on the approach to the Calama-El Loa airport 520 meters from the relocated runway threshold because the captain was blinded by the sun. The hull broke. Of the 33 occupants on board, one passenger was killed. A fire broke out half an hour after landing and the aircraft burned down completely. The landing threshold had been moved 880 meters due to construction work, which the captain was not aware of (see also the accident involving a Boeing 737 operated by LAN Chile ) .
- On February 20, 1991, a BAe 146-200 from LAN Chile (CC-CET) rolled over the end of the runway when landing at Puerto Williams Airport and rolled into the Beagle Channel . Of the 72 people on board, 20 died (see also LAN Chile flight 1069 ) .
See also
literature
- BI Hengi: Airlines Worldwide , 9th updated edition from 2018, Nara, ISBN 978-3-925671-69-2 , p. 207
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ [1] Annual Report 2018-09-29
- ^ Latin Glory, Airlines of South America, Michael Magnusson, Zenith Press 1995, ISBN 978-0-7603-0024-4 .
- ↑ http://www.touristikpresse.net/news/28903/LAN-unterzeich-Abkommen-mit-der-kolumbianischen-Fluggesellschaft-Aeroasis.html
- ↑ aero.de: LAN Airlines before taking over the Colombian AIRES October 29, 2010
- ↑ https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/lan-and-tam-to-merge-346154/
- ↑ nzz.ch - The second largest airline in the world is established in South America December 15, 2011
- ↑ Details | oneworld. Retrieved May 20, 2020 .
- ↑ Largest airlines in South America LATAM files for bankruptcy | travel topia. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .
- ↑ LATAM Airlines to fire 'at least' 2,700 workers in Brazil. In: Reuters. August 1, 2020, accessed on August 1, 2020 .
- ↑ LATAM Airlines Chile Fleet Details and History. Retrieved March 15, 2020 .
- ↑ planespotters.net - LATAM Airlines Chile Fleet Accessed on August 5, 2018 (English).
- ↑ CC-BAC LAN Airlines Airbus A320-233. In: planespotters.net. November 27, 2017, accessed September 27, 2019 .
- ↑ cockpit, April 1973
- ↑ Getting Here. In: www.easterislandspirit.com. Retrieved March 10, 2016 .
- ↑ Accident statistics LAN Chile , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on January 11, 2018.
- ^ Accident report DC-3 CC-CLDP , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on March 23, 2017.
- ^ Accident report DC-6B CC-CCG , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on August 17, 2017.
- ^ Accident report B-737-200 CC-CHJ , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 23, 2019.
- ^ Accident report BAe 146-200, CC-CET Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 25, 2019.
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