LATAM has unveiled a giant new order for Embraer jets that would assist new U.S. flights for the South American airline.
The Santiago, Chile-based provider will take as much as 74 E195-E2 jets from Embraer starting within the second half of 2026, LATAM mentioned Monday. The planes that seat round 132 passengers in a single-class format will initially fly on the airline’s Brazilian subsidiary.
Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM, mentioned in an announcement the deal would enable the airline “to proceed on our path of worthwhile progress by enhancing that connectivity by way of the opening of latest locations.”
The Embraer deal is the newest in LATAM’s spectacular turnaround. The COVID-19 pandemic pressured the provider to restructure in Chapter 11 chapter within the U.S., a course of the place it shed planes, reduce routes and closed its subsidiary in Argentina. Since exiting chapter in late 2022, the airline has grown and deepened ties with each Delta Air Strains and Qatar Airways.
Since 2022, LATAM has added not less than six new U.S. routes, together with in headline markets like Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza Worldwide Airport (EZE) to Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA) — a route it axed in 2020 — and Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos Worldwide Airport (GRU) to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX).
LATAM has a three way partnership with Delta Air Strains that enables, amongst different issues, the airways to coordinate schedules and fares on flights between the U.S. and South America.
For Embraer, the LATAM order is its second in as many weeks following a landmark deal from U.S. discounter Avelo Airways for as much as 100 planes. The Avelo order was Embraer’s first for the E195-E2 within the U.S. market.
The place might LATAM fly the E2?
LATAM will first use its E195-E2s to develop in Brazil. The planes will enable it to raised compete with Azul Brazilian Airways, which, regardless of being smaller than LATAM, serves nearly 2 1/2 occasions extra locations within the nation with a various fleet of Airbus and Embraer jets and ATR turboprops.
A decade in the past, LATAM thought-about ordering a small jet to fill out its Brazilian community and assist a brand new hub within the northeast of the nation at Fortaleza-Pinto Martins Worldwide Airport (FOR), Natal Worldwide Airport (NAT) or Recife/Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre Worldwide Airport (REC). These plans have been shelved attributable to political and financial uncertainty.
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The E2 order might revive the plans for a northeastern hub to fill out LATAM’s route map in Brazil. And, whereas the E2’s vary of three,450 miles (3,000 nautical miles) is simply too brief for brand spanking new Brazil-U.S. flights, extra regional flights might assist connectivity and new routes to the U.S. on different planes within the airline’s fleet.
Previous to LATAM’s restructuring, the airline served Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA) from REC and airports in Belem, Manaus and Salvador, schedules from aviation analytics agency Cirium present.
Future E2 prospects at LATAM
Down the highway, LATAM might use the E195-E2s to develop its U.S. community from its bases at Bogota’s El Dorado Worldwide Airport (BOG) in Colombia and Lima’s Jorge Chávez Worldwide Airport (LIM) in Peru. The airplane can attain locations in Florida and the Southeast — areas of energy for accomplice Delta — from each airports.
For instance, flights from BOG to Austin-Bergstrom Worldwide Airport (AUS), a quickly increasing focus metropolis for Delta, are doable with the E2.
The E2 might additionally open new routes to Delta’s hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL) to secondary cities in northern South America.
LATAM mentioned it might take into account flying the E2 at its associates in Chile, Colombia and Peru “probably later.”
