At 6:24 PM (local time) on Friday (5), LATAM Airlines resumed operations at Teniente Luis Candelaria International Airport (BRC) in San Carlos de Bariloche after an absence of over four years. This time, it will connect with Santiago (SCL) in Chile, facilitating the arrival of tourists through its hub in that city.
“Inaugurating this route will not only allow us to increase the offering we have between Chile and Argentina, but it will also allow Chileans to directly reach the most important tourist center in Argentine Patagonia, known for its stunning landscapes, lakes, forests, and mountains. Additionally, through the Santiago connection hub, southern Argentina will be connected to over 10 international destinations served by LATAM in Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, the United States, and Peru,” said Florencia Scardaccione, LATAM’s Commercial Manager in Argentina.
“This flight is the beginning of a big step for our city in receiving them and for LATAM in choosing us. We hope they can add even more flights, which will increase the number of tourists in our city and offer greater connectivity from Bariloche to the world. Welcome, LATAM, to the city of San Carlos de Bariloche,” added Sergio Herrero, Bariloche’s Secretary of Tourism.
Argentina’s Secretary of Transportation, Franco Mogetta, also participated, stating, «We are proud that LATAM can once again operate more routes and frequencies in the Argentine commercial aviation market. From the National Government, we are creating the necessary conditions to provide airlines with concrete tools to invest and bet on our country, offering quality service for passengers.»
LATAM will operate three weekly flights with Airbus A320s configured for 174 passengers, running until March 29, 2025, offering a total of 17,400 seats over four months.
- Flight LA 439 SCL 12:55 – 14:50 BRC / Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- Flight LA 439 SCL 16:40 – 18:35 BRC / Mondays.
- Flight LA 438 BRC 15:45 – 17:45 SCL / Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- Flight LA 438 BRC 19:30 – 21:20 SCL / Mondays.
LATAM will compete with SKY, which operates four times a week with A320neo aircraft. In 2024, between January and October, SKY has transported 27,315 passengers with a load factor of 71%, according to Argentina’s ANAC.
LATAM in Argentina
Bariloche is LATAM’s ninth airport in Argentina, despite being a seasonal destination. The company is the second most important in the South American country in terms of international passenger traffic. According to Argentina’s ANAC, between January and October, it transported 1,742,465 passengers with an average load factor of 84%.
Lima accounts for 48.3% of LATAM’s available seat kilometers (ASK), followed by São Paulo with 26.3% and Santiago with 25.3%, according to Cirium data.
Its network of destinations in Argentina includes:
- Buenos Aires/Aeroparque (AEP):
- Lima, 14 weekly flights with A319 and A320ceo.
- Santiago, 28 weekly flights with A320ceo.
- São Paulo/Guarulhos, 34 weekly flights with A320ceo, A320neo, A321ceo, and A321neo.
- Buenos Aires/Ezeiza (EZE):
- Lima, 22 weekly flights with A319 and A320ceo.
- Santiago, 21 weekly flights with A320ceo and A321.
- São Paulo/Guarulhos, 5 weekly flights with A320ceo, A320neo, A321ceo, and A321neo.
- From Mendoza:
- Lima, 5 weekly flights with A320ceo.
- Santiago, 10-18 weekly flights with A320ceo, A320neo, and A321.
- São Paulo/Guarulhos, 4 weekly flights with A320ceo and A320neo.
- From Córdoba:
- Lima, 7 weekly flights with A319 and A320ceo.
- Santiago, 6-8 weekly flights with A320ceo and A321.
- From Salta:
- Lima, 4-5 weekly flights with A319 and A320ceo.
- From Rosario:
- Lima, 3 weekly flights with A319 and A320ceo.
- From Bariloche:
- Santiago, 3 weekly flights with A320ceo, seasonal route.
- From Río Gallegos:
- Santiago via Punta Arenas, one monthly flight with A320ceo.
- Malvinas Islands, one monthly flight with A320ceo.
- From Ushuaia:
- Santiago, one weekly flight with A320ceo and A321ceo, charter for cruises.
