LATAM Airlines Chile, formerly known as LAN Chile and LAN Airlines, is a Chilean multinational airline based in Santiago and one of the founding companies of the LATAM Airlines Group, the largest airline holding company in Latin America. Its main hubs are in the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo and Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, with secondary hubs in Bogotá, Quito, Guayaquil and Asunción.[3]
LAN was the flag carrier of Chile until its privatization in the 1990s; it is the predominant airline in Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, the largest carrier in Brazil, and the second-largest in Colombia, through its local subsidiaries. LATAM is the largest airline in Latin America, serving Latin America, North America, the Caribbean, Oceania, Asia, and Europe. The carrier was a member of the Oneworld airline alliance from 2000 until 2020.[4]
LATAM Airlines Group was formed after the takeover by LAN of Brazilian airline TAM Linhas Aéreas, which was completed on June 22, 2012. In August 2015, it was announced that both airlines would rebrand as LATAM, with one livery to be applied on all aircraft by 2018.[5][6][7] Currently, LATAM Chile and LATAM Brasil continue to work as separate companies, under LATAM Airlines Group acting as the parent company. LATAM Airlines Group is currently the largest airline corporation in Latin America.[8]
History
Early years
The airline was founded by Chilean Air Force Commodore Arturo Merino Benítez (after whom Santiago International Airport is named), and began operations on March 5, 1929, as Línea Aeropostal Santiago-Arica (English: Postal Air Line Santiago-Arica), under the government of President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo. In 1932 It was rebranded as Línea Aérea Nacional de Chile (English: National Air Line of Chile), using the acronym LAN Chile as its commercial name. LAN Chile's first fleet consisted of de Havilland Moth planes.[9]
Merino Benitez was a strong defender of Chilean carriers' exclusivity on domestic routes, differing from most Latin American countries which easily granted authorization on domestic flights to US-based Panagra, influenced by the propaganda made by Charles Lindbergh's Atlantic crossing.[10] Also because of this reason, US-built airplanes became more difficult to incorporate to LAN's fleet until the beginning of WWII. In 1936, 2 French Potez 560 airplanes were purchased while in 1938, 4 German
Corporate affairs
The airline has its headquarters on the 20th floor of the 5711 Avenida Presidente Riesco Building in Las Condes, Santiago Province.[24] Previously its headquarters were in Estado 10 in downtown Santiago de Chile.[25]
Subsidiaries
Destinations
LATAM flies to 30 international destinations in 16 countries along with 17 domestic destinations in Chile.[30] LATAM Chile was a popular choice for surfers traveling to South America because of their policy of not charging extra baggage fees. However, starting on December 19, 2016, they changed their policy and now charge US$200 per way for a surfboard bag of up to three boards.[31]
On October 5, 2017, LATAM inaugurated their direct route between Santiago and Melbourne, a 15-hour (westbound) and 11300 km flight. It is currently the southernmost commercial point-to-point flight. The flight's great circle passes south of the Antarctic Circle, at a distance of about 800 km from the Antarctic mainland.[32]
In November 2017, the company announced the opening of a direct air route to Asia.[33] The route operated with a flight departing from Santiago
Fleet
Current
As of February 2025, LATAM operates the following aircraft:[43][44]
Fleet development
LAN was the launch customer for the Pratt & Whitney PW6000 engine on the Airbus A318.[49] Its Airbus A319s and Airbus A320s are equipped with the IAE V2500s or CFM56s engines. LATAM overhauled its Boeing 767s, adding amenities like flatbed seats in Premium Business class, which offers 180 degrees of recline, and new touchscreen personal TVs with on-demand content.[50]
LATAM Pass
LATAM Pass is the airline's frequent flyer program to reward customer loyalty. There are currently over four million members. Members earn miles every time they fly with LATAM Chile, an affiliated airline, or by using the services of any LATAM Pass-associated business around the world.[54]
The LATAM Pass program has five membership categories:[55]
On May 5, 2016, LANPass was rebranded as LATAM Pass, once LAN Chile fully transitioned into LATAM Chile.
- Gold
- Gold Plus
- Platinum
- Black
- Black Signature
Lounges
LATAM Airlines operates lounges at the following airports:[56]
These lounges are accessible for passengers traveling in Premium Business, Business, and Premium Economy, as well as selected members of the LATAM Pass program who are Black or Platinum members.
The newly renovated LATAM lounges were designed by Chilean architects Mathias Klotz and Olivia Putman.
- Mistral Lounge at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, in Santiago, Chile
- Neruda Lounge at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, in Santiago, Chile
- Ezeiza International Airport, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- El Dorado International Airport, in Bogotá, Colombia
- Miami International Airport
- São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport
- Jorge Chávez International Airport, in Lima, Peru
Accidents and incidents
- On April 3, 1961, LAN Chile Flight 621, a Douglas C-47A registered as CC-CLD, on a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Temuco Airport (now Maquehue Airport, later La Araucania Airport) to Santiago, crashed into a hillside due to inclement weather near La Gotera Hill, Chile. On board were many members of the Chilean association football club C.D. Green Cross. All four crew members and all twenty passengers on board were killed.[57]
- On February 6, 1965, a Douglas DC-6, operating LAN Chile Flight 107 from Santiago to Ezeiza, Argentina, flew into a mountain near the San José Volcano in the Las Melosas area of the Andes shortly after takeoff. All of the 87 passengers and crew on board died in what is as of 2012 the worst aircraft accident in Chile.[58]
- On April 28, 1969 LAN Chile Flight 160 crashed short of the runway at Colina, Chile. None of the 60 passengers and crew were injured in the accident.[59]
See also
External links
References
- LATAM Airlines on ch-aviation ch-aviation, retrieved November 9, 2023^
- Federal Aviation Administration – Airline Certificate Information – Detail View Federal Aviation Administration, retrieved January 23, 2017^
- | oneworld^