LATAM has announced the airline has ordered five additional Boeing 787 Dreamliners, bringing the total number of the type in its fleet to 46. With these aircraft, LATAM becomes the largest operator of the 787 in South America.
The new order means that LATAM will have added a further 20 of the type into service since before the pandemic, an indicator of how well demand for air travel has returned to the region since the threat posed by COVID-19 abated.
The carrier’s latest batch of 787s is to be powered by GE Aerospace’s GEnx engines, making it the first South American airline with these engines known for their high performance, reliability, and efficiency.
The new additions will join LATAM’s fleet of existing Dreamliners which currently consists of 10 787-8s and 23 of the larger 787-9s. Other airlines flying the type in the region include Aeromexico and Avianca.
“These actions highlight LATAM’s alignment with sustainability goals, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050,” said Ramiro Alfonsín, LATAM Group’s CFO. “The integration of GEnx engines offers flexibility and supports long-range fleet growth. This expansion allows LATAM to operate two distinct engine models known for cutting-edge technology and reduced environmental impact.”
Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ Mike Wilson expressed the Dreamliner’s suitability for LATAM’s sustainability and operational objectives, citing its exceptional performance, flexible route capacity, and enhanced passenger comfort.
The GEnx engine family boasts over 50 million flight hours since its 2011 inception, proving GE’s most powerful and fastest-selling engine with nearly 3,000 units in service and on the order book.
Reviewing LATAM’s current fleet makeup reveals that the carrier currently operates a fleet of 332 aircraft. This includes 56 Boeing passenger aircraft including 31 767-300s (of which 18 are dedicated freighters), 10 777-300ERs, and its 33 787s detailed above.
On the Airbus side, the carrier has 256 Airbus aircraft in total consisting of 40 A319s, 158 A320s/A320neos, and 56 A321s/A321neos. The airline previously operated 13 Airbus A350-900s although these have since been disposed of in favor of more Boeing 787s.