LATAM Airlines Chile
IATA ICAO Callsign
LA LXP LANEX
FoundedNovember 1, 1958 (as Ladeco)
October 28, 2001 (as LAN Express)
HubsArturo Merino Benítez International Airport
Frequent-flyer programLATAM Pass
AllianceOneworld (2004-2020; affiliate)[1]
Fleet size13
Destinations15
Parent companyLATAM Chile
HeadquartersSantiago, Chile
Websitewww.latam.com

Transporte Aereo S.A., doing business as LATAM Chile[2] (previously known as LAN Express), is a Chilean domestic airline based in Santiago, Chile. It operates few domestic flights for its parent. Its main hub is Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport.[3]

History

The airline was established as Ladeco (acronym for Línea Aérea Del Cobre) by Juan Costabal Echeñique on November 1, 1958, flying mostly internal routes between Chile's major cities.[4] Initially, the company mainly flew domestic services, but later served international routes to the Caribbean and North America.

In 1993, Ladeco was sold 37.35% to Iberia, which in turn approved the sale to LAN-Chile.[5] In 1994, LAN-Chile bought over 99.41% of the shares and merged Ladeco into its fleet. At the time of the takeover, The airline was equipped mainly with Boeing 737s as well as some 727s and 757s. It then became exclusively an internal carrier between Chilean cities. In October 1998, Ladeco was merged with Fast Air Carrier. In 2000, Ladeco and LAN-Chile became the first airlines in the world to certify their flight operations, incorporating the TQM methodology. On October 28, 2001, Ladeco was officially rebranded as a new affiliate of LAN-Chile named LAN Express, and most internal operations were taken by.[3] The brand was then merged back into LAN Airlines in 2006, although it operated some domestic flights using the code of LAN Express.

On May 5, 2016, the airline was rebranded to LATAM Express as a result of the LATAM Airlines Group merger. The airline had faced a long-lasting strike that cancelled most of its flights in April 2018. The airline changed its name in LATAM Chile.

Destinations

LATAM Chile operates the following services (as of August 2017):[6]

Country City Airport Notes Refs
 ChileAntofagastaAndrés Sabella Gálvez International Airport
AricaChacalluta International Airport
BalmacedaBalmaceda Airport
CalamaEl Loa Airport
ConcepciónCarriel Sur International Airport
CopiapóDesierto de Atacama Airport
El SalvadorRicardo García Posada AirportTerminated
IquiqueDiego Aracena International Airport
La SerenaLa Florida Airport
OsornoCañal Bajo Carlos Hott Siebert Airport
Puerto MonttEl Tepual Airport
Puerto NatalesTeniente Julio Gallardo AirportSeasonal
Punta ArenasPresidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport
SantiagoArturo Merino Benítez International AirportHub
TemucoLa Araucanía International Airport
ValdiviaPichoy Airport

Fleet

Current fleet

A LATAM Express Airbus A321-200 parked at El Tepual Airport in 2017

The airline's fleet consists of the following aircraft as of March 2021:[7]

LATAM Chile fleet
Aircraft In
service		 Orders Passengers Notes
J Y Total
Airbus A320-200 4 — – 174 174 Operated by LATAM Chile
Airbus A321-200 9 — – 220 220
Total 13 —

Former fleet

A Ladeco Boeing 707-320B at Miami International Airport in 1989
A Ladeco Boeing 757-200 approaching John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1994

As Ladeco and LAN Express, the airline previously operated the following aircraft:[8][9][10]

LATAM Chile former fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A300B4 2 1995 1996 Leased from Carnival Air Lines
Airbus A319-100 2 2003 2005
Airbus A320-200 1 1994 1995 Leased from LACSA
BAC One-Eleven Series 200AJ 2 1991 1994
BAC One-Eleven Series 300AG 2 1990 1994
Beechcraft 65 1 1966 Un­known
Beechcraft 95 1 1965 1977
Boeing 707-320C 3 1988 1994
Boeing 727-100 6 1978 1995
Boeing 737-200 20 1980 2001
7 2001 2006
Boeing 737-300 2 1992 1996
Boeing 757-200 2 1991 1996
Douglas C-47 Skytrain 5 1958 1976
Douglas DC-6B 7 1966 1979
Douglas DC-8-71F 1 1992 1994
Fokker F-27 Friendship 2 1987 1991

During the 1960s, the airline operated a number of Douglas DC-3s, with their cargo fleet also including three Boeing 707s.[11]

Accidents and incidents

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Details | oneworld". www.oneworld.com. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  2. ↑ "IATA - LATAM Chile". IATA. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  3. 1 2 "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-03. p. 104.
  4. ↑ "LADECO". TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  5. ↑ "Iberia supports merger of Ladeco and Lan Chile airlines". Upi.com. November 10, 1993. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  6. ↑ Flight International, 5–11 April 2005
  7. ↑ "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World. October 2018: 9.
  8. ↑ "Ladeco Airlines Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Ladeco fleet". aerobernie.bplaced.net. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  10. ↑ "LAN Express Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  11. ↑ "LanChile Announces the Formation of LanCargo Chile as Part of the New LanCargo Group". Business Wire. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  12. ↑ "CC-CBM Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  13. ↑ "CC-CYR Incident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 23 June 2022.

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