South American carrier LATAM has a passenger fleet of nearly 300 aircraft. Including its
dedicated freighters, the airline group narrowly surpasses this number. Made up of airline
subsidiaries based in multiple South American countries, this group consists of a diverse mix
of narrowbodies and widebodies, with the former coming from Airbus and the latter from Boeing.
In today’s video, let’s look at the fleet of LATAM Airlines group.
As an airline group, LATAM consists of seven subsidiaries. Four of these are passenger
airlines: LATAM Brasil, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. The other three are cargo airlines: LATAM Cargo
Brasil, Chile, and Colombia. As you can see, Ecuador and Peru don’t have
their own cargo divisions while Colombia lacks its own LATAM passenger airline.
Interestingly, LATAM Airlines Argentina and LATAM Cargo Mexico
used to exist. However, the Argentinian passenger subsidiary ceased operations in June
2020 while the Mexican cargo carrier ceased operations in December 2018.
Without going too deep into the airline group’s history in this video,
LATAM was borne from the combination of two airlines:
LAN, and TAM. The former has its roots in Chile while the latter has its origins in Brazil.
In 2012, the LATAM Airlines Group was established through the association of LAN and TAM. However,
the years following would see the two airlines continue to operate under their respective names.
Then, in 2015, LATAM as a unified entity would come into existence.
This new brand would be adopted by LAN, TAM, as well as their subsidiaries.
Since becoming one airline, LATAM had steadily been a oneworld
alliance member. However, it left this alliance in 2020.
At the time of making this video, the carrier is not a member of any other alliance.
Moving on to the group’s fleet of jets, if we keep our focus on passenger aircraft only,
we see that the LATAM Airlines group has a total of 288 aircraft.
If we include the 14 Boeing 767-300 freighters, this fleet size jumps up to 302.
All of the carrier’s narrowbodies come from Airbus and currently break down as follows:
40 A319s (with an average age of 14 years),
141 A320s (with an average age of 11 years), And 49 A321s (with an average of 8 years).
13 of the 141 A320s are neo variants which are all under four years old.
These are operated by both LATAM Brasil and LATAM Chile. LATAM Brasil
is due to get a few more A320s so these numbers could change quite soon.
While there are over 200 Airbus narrowbodies, the majority of these aircraft are operated
by LATAM Chile and LATAM Brasil. Indeed, the airlines in Ecuador and
Peru only operate a handful of A319s. Moving over to the group’s widebodies,
we have a mix of Boeing aircraft. These are jets from the 767, 777, and 787 families.
Subtracting the 14 767 freighters, the LATAM group has 20 767-300 passenger aircraft.
These are between nine-and-a-half to just over 16 years old.
Of these 20, one aircraft (registered CC-BDC) has a more unique configuration as a preighter.
Previously having a layout of 30 seats in quote-unquote “premium business” and 191 in
standard economy class, the jet was reconfigured in 2020 to carry cargo on its passenger deck.
According to Planespotters.net, this particular aircraft now has six premium business seats
and just seven economy class seats. If this is true, it would certainly be an
interesting aircraft to fly in - having a rather intimate cabin of just 13 passengers!
Moving to the Boeing 777, the airline group operates a total of 10
777-300ERs which have an average age of 11 years. While they all fly under the LATAM banner, all 10
of these twinjets are actually operated by LATAM Brasil. One of these jets, registered PT-MUA,
has a unique Star Wars-themed livery. If you’re flying LATAM to Sao Paulo from London,
Frankfurt, or Madrid, there’s a chance you could be stepping onboard this specially-painted jet!
The final type in the LATAM fleet is the 787 Dreamliner.
The group currently has 28 Dreamliners, which divide into 10 -8s,
and 18 -9s. Collectively, the Boeing Dreamliners average just under seven years.
Most of these are flown by LATAM Chile, with just one aircraft having a Brazilian registration.
More 787s are due to join the fleet, which is something we will cover in the next section.
One of the big changes that the LATAM fleet has undergone is the removal of its Airbus A350-900s.
Most of these joined between 2016 and 2019, with a few more technically being delivered in 2020.
Unfortunately, with the pandemic hitting in 2020, these later aircraft (which came from
Qatar Airways) were stored and never actually entered service with LATAM.
It’s expected that most, or all of these A350s have gone,
or will go to US giant Delta Air Lines. Indeed, some of these jets
have been getting their new Delta liveries applied in Singapore in recent weeks.
This summer, Delta is set to incorporate three of these former LATAM A350s into its fleet,
deploying them across several long-haul routes. Unfortunately for Delta passengers,
these particular aircraft will not have the standard Delta cabin. Instead, they will have
a higher density layout than Delta’s existing A350s, squeezing in an extra 33 passengers.
According to a Delta spokesperson, the aircraft quote “feature a temporary seating configuration
pending further modification to one consistent with the A350 aircraft currently in [the] fleet.”
But getting back to LATAM, it’s clear that the group has decided to streamline and simplify
its operations and go with Boeing for its widebodies
while holding firm to its commitment to Airbus narrowbodies.
According to its 2021 fourth-quarter financial results,
the airline expects to receive two more 787s and 70 A320neo family jets between now and 2028.
The airline is actually expecting five 787s as three others have yet to be delivered.
Three of these are leases from either Avolon or Orix Aviation and were previously operated
by Norwegian Airlines, which has since given up its intercontinental, long-haul operations.
According to ch-aviation, Boeing has already built the remaining two LATAM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
Unfortunately, however, the American planemaker hasn’t been able to deliver these aircraft.
Registered CC-BGQ and CC-BGR, the hold-up is again due to the ongoing
certification issues between Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Something that has affected many of the airlines we’ve covered in this fleet analysis series.
The latest news on this front is that Boeing hopes to resume deliveries sometime
in the second half of 2022. However, the planemaker understandably is reluctant to
offer a more specific date given all the unexpected setbacks it has faced.
On the Airbus side, LATAM has a much more significant commitment.
The airline expects to receive at least 70 A320neo family aircraft.
Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM Airlines Group, said the following in a statement:
“The purchase of these highly efficient aircraft is a sign of the commitment
we have made with the transformation towards a carbon-neutral LATAM in 2050.
At the same time, these 70 aircraft reinforce the connectivity scale of the region.”
While LATAM clearly has plans to grow its fleet in the future,
it has certainly been in a precarious state since the pandemic. Indeed, it decided to file
for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States. Part of its plans to stay afloat
included the rejection of 42 aircraft leases. It also reclassified 11 Boeing 767 for sale.
Getting into the details, the airline group phased out six A319s between March 2020 and
February 2021. During that same period, 12 A320s and eight passenger-767s were removed as well.
With the effects of the pandemic easing,
the airline has been able to make additional aircraft commitments in recent times.
At the start of June, Air Lease Corporation announced long-term lease placements for three new
A321neos. The airline is set to receive the new Airbus A321neos in the summer and fall of 2023.
A victim of restrictive pandemic measures from South American governments,
LATAM’s financials have taken a beating over the past two years,
forcing it to go through a lengthy bankruptcy process.
However, it now looks as if the airline group is slowly getting through the worst of it,
soon to emerge from this drawn-out stage.
In early May, LATAM announced that it had secured the support of almost all its
creditors for its Plan of Reorganization after reaching an agreement with Chilean bondholders,
the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, and several other shareholders.
The Plan proposes an infusion of USD$8.19 billion into the group
with a mix of new investments and more debt.
Things aren’t yet finalized however, and LATAM is currently on track to emerge from
its Chapter 11 process in the second half of 2022.
The LATAM group and its over 200 aircraft serve an important role in connecting South American
countries to one another, as well as to the rest of the world. Hopefully in the next few years,
we can see the group and its airlines pick up where it left off before the pandemic.
Have you ever flown with LATAM before?
And what do you think of their decision to let go of its A350s? Let us know by leaving a comment.