LATAM Group signed an agreement with Airbus to add an additional 28 narrow-body A320neo aircraft to its order.
So far, according to Airbus documentation, the South American group has 23 A320neos and 19 A321neos on order.
The new purchase will make South America’s largest airliner fleet vastly more efficient and environment-friendly, the company claims. Currently, LATAM group’s airlines mostly operate Airbus narrow-body aircraft of the previous generation (A319-100, A320-200 and A321-200), in addition to several Boeing 767, 777 and 787 wide-body airliners.
In May 2020 LATAM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and many of its subsidiaries – such as LATAM Brazil and LATAM Argentina – have been struggling as well.
Nevertheless, despite firing a large part of its workforce in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has already announced one fleet expansion, while reshuffling and auctioning off some of its assets.