FARNBOROUGH, UK – On the fourth day of the Farnborough International Airshow, LATAM Group and Airbus signed an agreement for 17 A321neo aircraft, bringing the holding company’s total Airbus aircraft backlog to 100.
At the same time, the group confirmed plans to add the ultra-long-haul version, the A321XLR, to the fleet. It was not confirmed whether this A321neo order will be converted to the variant or whether it will depend on a new order.
«We applaud LATAM’s strategic vision and sustainability ambition. This A321neo order following its restructuring is a strong signal of the value Airbus brings to realizing this vision and ambition. The A321XLR will enable the opening of new routes and allow LATAM to increase its international reach in the region,» said Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International.
The A321XLR variant extends the A321neo family’s operating range to 4,700 nautical miles, equivalent to a flight time of up to 11 hours. Last month the A321XLR took to the skies for the first time, successfully completing its first test flight.
The extended range of the A321XLR will allow LATAM to reach the east coast of the United States from its Santiago de Chile hub, from Lima (Peru) it could cover most of Canada and the entire continental United States -except Alaska-, and from Sao Paulo it could reach Spain and Portugal.
Other logical hubs for the group could be Bogota or Recife, giving it access to several destinations in Europe, Africa and North America.
With the confirmation of this commitment, LATAM enters the incipient competition that South America will see after the arrival of the A321XLR: high-density, point-to-point routes on single-aisle aircraft with lower operating costs and better margins per seat.
