LATAM Airlines transported 4,902 passengers to Porto Alegre in the first week of operations at Canoas Air Base. The airline maintained a 100% occupancy rate on round-trip flights to the city affected by flooding in Rio Grande do Sul.
Between May and June, LATAM will operate more than 400 flights in southern Brazil, connecting Porto Alegre with the rest of the country through nearby airports, including Canoas Air Base, Caxias do Sul, Florianópolis, and Jaguaruna.
Derick Barboza, Director of Airports for LATAM Brazil, said: «Over 100 LATAM employees and 20 departments have been and remain directly involved in this contingency operation supporting the reconstruction and recovery of Rio Grande do Sul.»
«The operation in Canoas is complex and requires our attention to the smallest detail 24 hours a day. The positive result of the first week reflects the teamwork that reinforces the strategic importance of aviation for Brazil,» he added.
Recommendations for Flights to Canoas
LATAM recommends that passengers departing from Canoas Air Base arrive at ParkShopping Canoas three hours before their flight. Additionally, it is preferred to use the automatic check-in option via the company’s website or app.
Boarding and disembarking occur at ParkShopping Canoas, located 4 kilometers from the Air Base, requiring passengers to be transported by bus from the shopping center to the plane for both arrivals and departures. Therefore, check-in closes one and a half hours before each flight.
LATAM operates 24 weekly flights from Canoas Air Base:
- Guarulhos-Canoas, departure at 12:00 (local time) and arrival at 13:45. Daily flights operated with Airbus A320 and A321;
- Canoas-Guarulhos, departure at 15:15 and arrival at 16:55. Daily flights operated with Airbus A320 and A321;
- Congonhas-Canoas, departure at 6:20 and arrival at 8:00. Five weekly flights operated with A320 neo;
- Canoas-Congonhas, departure at 9:30 and arrival at 11:05. Five weekly flights operated with A320 neo.
Contingency Plan for Passengers
All passengers with flights scheduled to/from Porto Alegre until October 26 can change their tickets or request a refund free of charge within 12 months from the date of the original flight. This change can be made directly on the LATAM website.
Customers can also change their flight destination from Porto Alegre to:
- Caxias do Sul (CXJ);
- Passo Fundo (PFB);
- Florianópolis (FLN);
- Jaguaruna (JJG);
- Navegantes (NVT);
- Chapecó (XAP);
- Joinville (JOI);
- Curitiba (CWB);
- Foz do Iguaçu (IGU);
- Canoas Air Base (QNS).
Humanitarian Flights to Porto Alegre
The LATAM Solidarity Plane program has transported 142 tons of donations and 108 volunteers to southern Brazil since May 4, 2024.
LATAM’s humanitarian transports were carried out on the company’s commercial flights to the region’s airports and five special flights to the Canoas Air Base, including donations from countries such as Portugal and the USA.
Additionally, LATAM has participated in the free transport of donations collected by its partners in Brazil during the Rio Grande do Sul disaster.
