LATAM Airlines facts for kids
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| Founded | March 5, 1929 (as Línea Aeropostal Santiago-Arica) |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations |
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| AOC # | LANF474J |
| Hubs | Santiago |
| Secondary hubs |
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| Focus cities |
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| Frequent-flyer program | LATAM Pass |
| Subsidiaries | LATAM Airlines Chile |
| Fleet size | 149 |
| Destinations | 152 |
| Parent company | LATAM Airlines Group |
| Headquarters | Las Condes, Santiago, Chile |
| Key people | Roberto Alvo (CEO) |
| Revenue |  US$5.7 billion (2011) |
| Net income |  US$320.2 million (2011) |
LATAM Airlines is a major airline based in Santiago, Chile. It used to be known as LAN Chile. This airline is one of the main parts of the LATAM Airlines Group. This group is the biggest airline company in Latin America.
LATAM Airlines has its main base at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago. It also has other important bases in cities like São Paulo, Lima, Bogotá, Quito, Guayaquil, and Asunción.
For many years, LAN was Chile's national airline. Even after it became a private company in the 1990s, it remained very important. Today, LATAM is the top airline in Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. It is also the second largest in Colombia. LATAM flies to many places around the world. These include Latin America, North America, the Caribbean, Oceania, Asia, and Europe. From 2000 to 2020, it was part of the Oneworld airline group.
The LATAM Airlines Group was created when LAN took over the Brazilian airline TAM Linhas Aéreas. This happened on June 22, 2012. In 2015, both airlines decided to change their names to LATAM. They also started using the same look for all their planes. Even though they share a name, LATAM Chile and LATAM Brasil still work as separate companies. The LATAM Airlines Group is their main company.
Contents
A Look Back: LATAM's History
The Beginning: From Mail to Passengers
A Chilean Air Force officer named Arturo Merino Benítez started this airline. Santiago's airport is named after him. The airline began flying on March 5, 1929. Its first name was Línea Aeropostal Santiago-Arica. This means Postal Air Line Santiago-Arica.
In 1932, the airline changed its name to Línea Aérea Nacional de Chile. This means National Air Line of Chile. People often called it LAN Chile. Its first planes were de Havilland Moth aircraft.
Merino Benitez wanted Chilean airlines to fly only within Chile. This was different from many other Latin American countries. They often let US-based airlines like Panagra fly domestic routes. Because of this, it was harder for LAN to get US-made planes until World War II. In 1936, LAN bought two French Potez 560 planes. In 1938, it added four German Junkers Ju 86Bs. LAN also made deals with other airlines, like Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano and Faucett from Peru. It also had an agreement with Lufthansa for flights to Europe.
By 1940, it was hard to get parts for the German planes because of World War II. So, LAN Chile started using Lockheed Model 10A Electra planes. In 1941, they added Lockheed Lodestar C-60 planes. By 1945, Douglas DC-3 planes joined the fleet.
Flying Further: International Journeys
On August 23, 1945, LAN Chile became a member of IATA. This is a big international airline group. In October 1946, LAN started flying to Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1947, it began flights to Punta Arenas, Chile's farthest city.
In December 1954, LAN Chile flew its first commercial flight to Lima, Peru. On December 22, 1956, a LAN Chile Douglas DC-6B made history. It was the first commercial flight to fly over Antarctica. After this, all of LAN's DC-6 planes had "The first over Antarctica" painted on them. In 1958, this same type of plane started flying to Miami International Airport.
LAN Chile entered the "jet era" in 1963. It bought three French Sud Aviation Caravelle VI-R jets. These jets first flew to Miami, Guayaquil, Lima, Panama City, and within Chile to Punta Arenas, Puerto Montt, and Antofagasta.
In 1966, LAN Chile bought its first Boeing 707 from Lufthansa. This plane helped the company start new long-distance flights. These flights went to the US, Oceania, and Europe. On April 15, 1967, LAN-Chile started flying to John F. Kennedy International Airport. On April 8, it began flights to Easter Island. In October 1967, a LAN Chile Caravelle jet made the first ILS landing in South America. This happened at Lima's Jorge Chávez International Airport.
On January 16, 1968, the Santiago-Easter Island flight was extended. It now went to Papeete-Faa'a International Airport in Tahiti. A Douglas DC-6B was used for this. In April 1970, Boeing 707 jets started flying this route. On September 4, 1974, this route was extended to Fiji.
In 1969, LAN Chile added more destinations. These included Rio de Janeiro, Asunción, and Cali. New Boeing 727 planes were used for these flights. In 1970, LAN Chile started its first flights across the Atlantic Ocean. These Boeing 707 flights went to Madrid–Barajas Airport, Frankfurt Airport, and Paris-Orly.
Until 1970, the airline's main base was at Los Cerrillos Airport in Santiago. But Santiago was growing, and bigger, modern airports were needed for jet planes. So, Santiago International Airport was built. It opened in 1970, and LAN Chile moved all its flights there.
On February 10, 1974, a LAN-Chile Boeing 707 made a special flight. It was the world's first non-stop flight over the North Pole. It flew from Punta Arenas Airport in South America to Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport in Australia.
In 1980, the company replaced its Boeing 727s with Boeing 737-200 planes for domestic flights. Also, McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s were added. These were LAN Chile's first wide-body jets. They were used for flights to Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. In the same year, the plane maintenance area moved to Arturo Merino Benítez Airport.
In 1985, LAN-Chile started "Air Cruises." These were special flights around the world. They were the first of their kind in Latin America. A Boeing 707 named Three Oceans made two flights a year. It crossed the Atlantic, Indian, and South Pacific oceans. It visited 18 different places. The plane had 80 first-class seats for comfort. Eighty tourists went on a 31-day trip. They visited major cities in Africa, Asia, and Oceania. These flights continued until 1989.
In June 1986, Boeing 767-200ERs replaced the DC-10 planes. A new route to Montréal–Mirabel International Airport was added.
In 1988, LAN Chile started building its maintenance center at Santiago Airport. It also leased a Boeing 747-100 from Aer Lingus for its US flights during the summer.
Modern Era: Privatization and Growth
In September 1989, the Chilean government sold most of the airline. This made it a private company. Icarosan and Scandinavian Airlines bought a large part of it. Later, Scandinavian Airlines sold its share to local investors. Since 1994, the Cueto Family and businessman Sebastián Piñera were the main owners. Piñera sold his shares when he became President of Chile in 2010.
LAN bought Chile's second-largest airline, Ladeco, on August 11, 1995. In October 1998, LAN-Chile combined its cargo company, Fast Air Carrier, with Ladeco. This created LAN Express.
In 1998, LAN Airlines started a joint project with Lufthansa. It was called LLTT. This company trains people for aircraft maintenance in Latin America. LLTT is based at LAN's hangars in Santiago Airport. It is the only place in Latin America that trains people using an A320 Maintenance Simulator.
In 2000, LAN Cargo opened a big base at Miami International Airport. It is now one of its largest cargo centers.
In 2002, LAN Chile started to grow internationally. It opened LAN Perú and LAN Ecuador.
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In March 2004, LAN-Chile and its smaller airlines became one. They all used the single LAN brand and look. On June 17, 2004, LAN-Chile officially changed its name to LAN Airlines. Some people said LAN stood for Latin American Network Airlines. However, the airline says LAN is no longer an acronym. When it started in 1929, LAN meant "Línea Aérea Nacional" (National Airline).
In March 2005, LAN opened LAN Argentina in Argentina. It flies both within Argentina and to other countries from Buenos Aires. It is the third-largest local airline there. This airline also uses the LAN brand.
On October 28, 2010, LAN bought 98% of AIRES, another airline in Colombia. On December 3, 2011, AIRES became LAN Colombia. It started using the LAN look.
Since May 5, 2016, LAN has been known as LATAM Airlines. In 2017, the airline started many new routes. One was the longest flight in its history: Santiago to Melbourne. This flight began on October 5, 2017.
LATAM Airlines Group
On August 13, 2010, LAN Airlines and Brazilian airline TAM Linhas Aéreas agreed to merge. They wanted to form the LATAM Airlines Group. The merger was finished on June 22, 2012. The governments in Brazil and Chile approved the merger. But they made the airlines agree to some rules. For example, they had to give up some flight times at São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport. They also had to leave either Star Alliance or Oneworld.
In 2018, the airline had some problems with the Rolls-Royce engines on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes. At least six planes were stopped from flying. In April 2018, their local airline LATAM Express had a big worker strike. These issues caused the airline to lose money. Later that year, they started to get better. They expected to get more 787 planes by 2019.
Flying with LATAM: Destinations and Fleet
Where Does LATAM Fly?
LATAM flies to 30 international places in 16 countries. It also flies to 17 places within Chile. With more Airbus A320s and Airbus A321s, it plans to start new flights in South America. Some possible new places include Panama, San Jose de Costa Rica, and Asunción.
On October 5, 2017, LATAM started a direct flight between Santiago and Melbourne. This flight is about 15 hours long and covers about 11,300 kilometers. It is currently the southernmost direct commercial flight. The flight path goes south of the Antarctic Circle, about 800 kilometers from Antarctica.
In November 2017, the company announced a new direct flight to Asia. This flight leaves from Santiago, Chile, stops in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and then flies directly to Tel Aviv, Israel. These flights ran three times a week from December 2018 to 2020. They used the company's Boeing 787 planes. This was the second flight from South America to Asia by a South American airline.
LATAM works with other airlines so passengers can book flights on different airlines as if they were one. This is called codesharing. LATAM codeshares with these airlines:
- Aeroméxico
- Air China
- Alaska Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- Jetstar
- Korean Air
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- WestJet
What Planes Does LATAM Use?
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As of July 2023, LATAM uses these types of planes:
| Aircraft | In service |
Orders | Passengers | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | W | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A319-100 | 15 | — | – | – | 144 | 144 | 7 planes fly for LATAM Perú. 6 planes fly for LATAM Colombia. |
| Airbus A320-200 | 73 | — | – | – | 168 | 168 | 26 planes fly for LATAM Perú. 8 planes fly for LATAM Colombia. 4 planes fly for LATAM Express. |
| 174 | 174 | ||||||
| 180 | 180 | ||||||
| Airbus A320neo | 6 | — | – | – | 174 | 174 | 2 planes fly for LATAM Perú. |
| Airbus A321-200 | 18 | — | – | – | 220 | 220 | 9 planes fly for LATAM Express. |
| 224 | 224 | ||||||
| Airbus A321neo | 1 | 32 | TBA | Will be delivered by 2023. | |||
| Airbus A321XLR | — | 5 | TBA | Will be delivered from 2025 to 2026. | |||
| Boeing 767-300ER | 9 | — | 20 | – | 211 | 231 | Some will be changed into cargo planes. |
| 213 | 234 | ||||||
| 218 | 238 | ||||||
| Boeing 787-8 | 10 | — | 30 | – | 217 | 247 | |
| Boeing 787-9 | 24 | 15 | 30 | 57 | 216 | 303 | |
| – | 283 | 313 | |||||
| Total | 150 | 62 | |||||
How LATAM's Fleet Has Grown
LAN was the first airline to use the Pratt & Whitney PW6000 engine on the Airbus A318. Its Airbus A319s and A320s use IAE V2500s or CFM56 engines. LATAM updated its Boeing 767s. They added flat beds in Premium Business class and new touch screen TVs.
In May 2008, LAN Chile stopped using its last 737 plane. It was replaced by Airbus A320s. Besides its A320 family planes and Boeing 767s, LATAM bought the Boeing 787 for long flights. These flights go to Auckland, Sydney, and some European cities. The 787s replaced the Airbus A340-300s, which left the fleet in April 2015. In 2011, LAN Chile ordered 10 A318s but sold them to Avianca Brasil. Instead, it bought 128 more jets from the A320 family and one more A340-300. That year, the airline ordered more Airbus A320 and new Airbus A321 planes. LATAM Chile was the first airline in the Americas to use "Sharklets" on its A320 planes.
In 2012, LAN Chile was the first airline in the Americas to use the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. On November 23, 2014, the airline received its first Airbus A321. This plane became the main one for domestic flights. On April 17, 2015, the airline officially stopped using the Airbus A340-300. In December 2017, the airline received its first Airbus A320neo. However, these planes were stopped from flying months later due to engine problems. LATAM had many issues in 2018 because of these plane problems. Later that year, they started to get better.
In 2021, LATAM bought four Boeing 787-9 planes that used to fly for Norwegian Air Shuttle. These planes started flying for LATAM in late 2022.
Special Perks: LATAM Pass and Lounges
Earning Rewards with LATAM Pass
LATAM Pass is the airline's program for loyal customers. It rewards people who fly often. More than four million people are members. Members earn miles every time they fly with LATAM Chile or a partner airline. They can also earn miles by using services from businesses linked to LATAM Pass.
The LATAM Pass program has five levels for members:
- Gold
- Gold Plus
- Platinum
- Black
- Black Signature
On May 5, 2016, LANPASS changed its name to LATAM Pass. This happened when LAN Chile fully became LATAM Chile.
Relaxing in LATAM Lounges
LATAM Airlines has special lounges at these airports:
- Mistral Lounge at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, in Santiago de Chile
- Neruda Lounge at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, in Santiago de Chile
- Ezeiza International Airport, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- El Dorado International Airport, in Bogotá, Colombia
- Miami International Airport
- São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport
Passengers flying in Premium Business, Business, and Premium Economy can use these lounges. Also, certain LATAM PASS members (Black or Platinum) can enter.
Chilean architect Mathias Klotz and Olivia Putman designed the updated LATAM lounges.
Important Moments: Accidents and Incidents
- On April 3, 1961, LAN Chile Flight 621, a Douglas C-47A, crashed into a hillside in Chile. This was due to bad weather. All four crew members and all twenty passengers died. Many were members of the Chilean football club C.D. Green Cross.
- On February 6, 1965, a Douglas DC-6, LAN Chile Flight 107, flew into a mountain in the Andes. This happened shortly after taking off from Santiago. All 87 people on board died. This was the worst plane accident in Chile at that time.
- On April 28, 1969, LAN Chile Flight 160 crashed before reaching the runway in Colina, Chile. None of the 60 passengers and crew were hurt.
- On December 5, 1969, a Douglas C-47A crashed after taking off from El Tepual Airport, Puerto Montt. It was a cargo flight. All three people on board survived.
- On May 25, 1972, a Boeing 727-100 made an emergency landing at Sir Donald Sangster International Airport. A pipe bomb exploded on board. There were no deaths or injuries.
- On August 3, 1978, a Boeing 707 was landing at Ministro Pistarini International Airport in thick fog. It hit trees before the runway. All 63 people on board survived.
- On August 4, 1987, a Boeing 737-200 landed too short at El Loa Airport. The front landing gear broke, and the plane split in two. A fire started 30 minutes later and destroyed the plane. One person died.
- On February 19, 1991, a chartered BAe 146–200, LAN Chile Flight 1069, went off the runway when landing at Puerto Williams. It sank in the water nearby. Of the 73 people on board, 20 died.
- On May 18, 2013, an Airbus A340 took off from Auckland Airport for Sydney. The crew lined up on the edge lights instead of the center line. They took off without noticing. The damage was found during a runway check.
- On October 26, 2022, LATAM Chile Flight 1325, an Airbus A320-214, flew into a hail storm while landing at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport. The plane lost most of its nose and had damage to its windshield. Both engines stopped working, and an emergency power system was used. The plane landed safely with no injuries.
- On November 18, 2022, LATAM Perú Flight 2213, an Airbus A320-271N, hit a fire truck during takeoff at Jorge Chávez International Airport. The right landing gear broke, and the right engine came off, starting a fire. Everyone on the plane survived, with 24 people hurt. However, both firefighters in the truck died.
- On August 14, 2023, LATAM Chile Flight 505, a Boeing 787–9 Dreamliner, was flying near Panama City. The captain became unwell and collapsed. The other pilots landed the plane at Tocumen International Airport. The captain was pronounced dead upon landing.
- On March 11, 2024, LATAM Airlines Flight 800, a Boeing 787–9 Dreamliner, had a technical issue during its flight from Sydney to Auckland. This caused strong movements before landing at Auckland Airport. As a result, 50 people on board were injured. Twelve were taken to the hospital, and one had possible serious injuries.
Images for kids
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Airbus A318-100 LAN.jpg
An Airbus A318-100 formerly used by LAN
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Airbus A330-200 Wamos Air.jpg
An Airbus A330-200 wet-leased from Wamos Air
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Airbus A340-300 LAN Airlines.jpg
An Airbus A340-300 formerly used by LAN Airlines
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Airbus A350-900 LATAM.jpg
An Airbus A350-900 formerly used by LATAM
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BAe 146-200 LAN Chile.jpg
A BAe 146–200 formerly used by LAN Chile
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Boeing 707-320 LAN Chile.jpg
A Boeing 707-320 formerly used by LAN Chile
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Boeing 727-100 LAN Chile.jpg
A Boeing 727-100 formerly used by LAN Chile
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Boeing 737-200 LAN Chile.jpg
A Boeing 737-200 formerly used by LAN Chile
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Boeing 747-100 Aer Lingus.jpg
A Boeing 747-100 leased from Aer Lingus
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Boeing 747-400 Wamos Air.jpg
A Boeing 747-400 wet-leased from Wamos Air
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Boeing 757-200 ILFC.jpg
A Boeing 757-200 leased from ILFC
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Boeing 767-200ER LAN Chile.jpg
A Boeing 767-200ER formerly used by LAN Chile
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Boeing 777-200ER Boeing Capital.jpg
A Boeing 777-200ER leased from Boeing Capital
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Consolidated PBY Catalina LAN Chile.jpg
A Consolidated PBY Catalina formerly used by LAN Chile
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Convair 340 LAN Chile.jpg
A Convair 340 formerly used by LAN Chile
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Curtiss T-32 Condor II LAN Chile.jpg
A Curtiss T-32 Condor II formerly used by LAN Chile
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De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter LAN Chile.jpg
A de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter formerly used by LAN Chile
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De Havilland DH.60 Moth LAN Chile.jpg
A de Havilland DH.60 Moth formerly used by LAN Chile
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De Havilland DH.104 Dove LAN Chile.jpg
A de Havilland DH.104 Dove formerly used by LAN Chile
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Douglas C-47 Skytrain LAN Chile.jpg
A Douglas C-47 Skytrain formerly used by LAN Chile
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Douglas DC-6B LAN Chile.jpg
A Douglas DC-6B formerly used by LAN Chile
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Fairchild FC-2 LAN Chile.jpg
A Fairchild FC-2 formerly used by LAN Chile
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Ford 5-AT-DS Trimotor LAN Chile.jpg
A Ford 5-AT-DS Trimotor formerly used by LAN Chile
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Hawker Siddeley HS 748 LAN Chile.jpg
A Hawker Siddeley HS 748 formerly used by LAN Chile
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Junkers W.34 LAN Chile.jpg
A Junkers W.34 formerly used by LAN Chile
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Junkers Ju 52 LAN Chile.jpg
A Junkers Ju 52 formerly used by LAN Chile
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Junkers Ju 86 LAN Chile.jpg
A Junkers Ju 86 formerly used by LAN Chile
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Lockheed Model 10A Electra LAN Chile.jpg
A Lockheed Model 10A Electra formerly used by LAN Chile
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Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar LAN Chile.jpg
A Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar formerly used by LAN Chile
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Martin 2-0-2 LAN Chile.jpg
A Martin 2-0-2 formerly used by LAN Chile
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McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 LAN Chile.jpg
A McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 formerly used by LAN Chile
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Potez 56 LAN Chile.jpg
A Potez 56 formerly used by LAN Chile
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Sud Aviation Caravelle LAN Chile.jpg
A Sud Aviation Caravelle formerly used by LAN Chile
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Sikorsky S-43 LAN Chile.jpg
A Sikorsky S-43 formerly used by LAN Chile
The airline's main office is on the 20th floor of a building in Las Condes, Santiago Province. Before, its main office was in downtown Santiago de Chile.
LATAM's Sister Airlines
LATAM Airlines has several sister airlines that are part of the same group:
- LATAM Brasil
- LATAM Colombia
- LATAM Ecuador
- LATAM Chile
- LATAM Paraguay
- LATAM Perú
Cargo Airlines
LATAM also has special airlines just for carrying cargo (goods):
- LATAM Cargo Brasil
- LATAM Cargo Chile
- LATAM Cargo Colombia
Airlines No Longer Part of LATAM
Some airlines used to be part of LATAM or its earlier forms but are not anymore:
- Aeroasis
- Ladeco
- LAN Dominicana
- LATAM Argentina
- Fast Air Carrier
- Florida West International Airways
- Mas Air
