The pandemic brought out the importance of the freighter market as never before, both as a key part for logistics and as a source of complementary income for airlines.
Although LATAM Airlines had already understood this role years ago and managed to configure its cargo unit as the most important in the region, the group will go even further after announcing a plan that will allow to increase its cargo capacity by 80% through the conversion of eight Boeing 767-300ER passenger aircraft to freighter aircraft.
It will be implemented in two phases. The first, for which an agreement with Boeing has already been confirmed, covers four 767-300BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter) aircraft between 2021 and 2022 and the second is based on the execution of four conversion options between 2022 and 2023. In the last case the group’s 767-300ER cargo fleet would reach 19 aircraft.
<<Despite the deep crisis that the pandemic has imposed on the industry, the group remains committed to supporting exporters and importers in the region with more and better options to get their products to their destination. That is why the growth plan has been accelerated with the conversion of up to 8 Boeing 767-300ERs in the next 30 months. This investment, added to the significant efficiencies achieved within Chapter 11, support our aspiration to be the best alternative for cargo customers>> said Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM Airlines.
<<The combination of the LATAM group’s passenger operations with between 15 and 19 Boeing 767-300ER cargo aircraft strengthens the group’s value proposition for its cargo customers. The additional conversions will allow the group’s subsidiaries to expand their network in key markets such as flower exports from Colombia or imports to Brazil as well as in domestic markets where the growth of e-commerce generates higher volumes of air cargo. Growing with Boeing 767-300BCF freighters is a significant advantage since it is the optimal aircraft for these different types of operations and using a single type of aircraft generates relevant efficiencies>> added Andrés Bianchi, CEO of LATAM Cargo.
