LATAM Cargo has added caacity into Europe by adding two new belly cargo routes to Lisbon and Munich from São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport.
Service to Lisbon will begin in September 2018 and during the first half of 2019 for Munich. Both routes are part of the company’s expansion plan, which seeks to strengthen and increase its network by providing greater connectivity to and from South America.
The news comes two months after it launched a new Boeing 767F service from Madrid and Brussels to South America.
LATAM Group will offer five weekly frequencies between Lisbon and the Guarulhos hub. Although still pending regulatory approval, the flights to Munich will increase connectivity with the industrial centers of southern Germany, especially for the automotive industry.
Once the frequency is approved, the capital of Bavaria will become the second city in Germany and the ninth in Europe with a direct belly service to South America.
In an effort to boost connectivity in Chile’s far north and consistent with its expansion plan, LATAM Cargo has also added a direct route from Miami to Antofagasta and from Antofagasta to Santiago with two weekly frequencies operated by a B767F with a 50-ton capacity.
Chile’s north is a strategic region due to its important economic contribution consisting primarily of mining activities, which require the prompt delivery of inputs to ensure operational continuity. This hitherto unmet demand led the company to consider new routes permitting to decrease delivery time.
LATAM Cargo commercial director for the US, Europe and Asia, Gabriel Oliva said: “A direct Miami-Antofagasta and Antofagasta-Santiago link gives us the opportunity to satisfy our customers’ requirements, integrating it to the existing LATAM Cargo network of over 150 destinations. With this new route, we will further contribute to the economic development of the region.”
The carrier says the city of Iquique will also benefit greatly. Located 400 kilometres north of Antofagasta, it has a customs-free zone that needs a steady supply of offshore products, so the connection with Miami will allow it to stock on merchandise quicker than before.
