LATAM Airlines Group Aims For Growth, Considers Narrowbodies

BOGOTA—Solid 2023 performance is providing LATAM Airlines Group with a springboard for growth in the years to come, it says, as it eyes an expansion in fleet beyond its current order book.

“We are seeking … to eventually increase our fleet size, particularly the narrowbodies,” said LATAM Airlines Group CEO Roberto Alvo at Aviation Week Network’s Routes Americas conference here in Bogotá. “Whether it's A320s, or 737s—which we have operated in the past, we operated them here in Colombia for a few years—we'll see. We're very happy with having both Airbus and Boeing suppliers.”

Its current fleet comprises around 250 narrowbodies and over 50 widebodies, plus an order book with Airbus for around 100 A320neo-family aircraft. Additionally, LATAM plans to bring the XLR into its fleet, a type Alvo believes it will operate “hopefully, in a couple of years’ time.”

“With that, we can start replacing some of our older aircraft,” he said.

The airline also expects to take delivery of four Boeing 787s in 2025, the backbone of its widebody fleet, and 10 more in upcoming years.

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Pointing to record operating margins and a healthy post-COVID balance sheet, Alvo described LATAM as “in a great position, because we are prepared to accompany the growth that this region can experience in the future. Latin America is a very undeveloped region, from an airline perspective.”

A recent partnership with Delta Air Lines allows the two airlines to provide access to 100 destinations in South America and more than 200 in North America, he noted, taking advantage of complementary networks. With current routes under the partnership already including several from Colombia—including Bogotá and Medellín to Miami—“others will come,” he said, as a direct benefit of the partnership.

The relationship with Delta "is working really well,” Alvo added.

Seeing opportunity for tourism growth in the region, Alvo called on governments, tourism, airlines and infrastructure concerns to each do their part, describing LATAM as ready to invest in helping to connect the region.

“We hear about 5.5 million visitors to Colombia, but Mexico has 80 million … why can’t Colombia?” Alvo asked. “Why can’t Chile? Where we have been late to the game is on finding ways of bringing people to this part of the world at the pace other regions have done it.”