Starting September 2023, LATAM Airlines will resume flying directly between Melbourne and Santiago, Chile. From Santiago, passengers can connect to more than 144 destinations in LATAM's network. LATAM will recommence the Melbourne - Santiago route with three weekly services operated on a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, enabling passengers to fly to Santiago in under 13 hours. 

LATAM Airlines Australian operations were paused in April 2020 due to the pandemic, with flights from Sydney via Auckland to Santiago restarting in March 2022, with three weekly services and building to daily services by December 2022. 

Chris Ellis, Country Manager - Oceania, LATAM Airlines said, "We are extremely excited to work with the Victorian Government and Melbourne Airport to resume LATAM's direct flights to South America. There has been a huge demand for travel to the region and we are thrilled to be able to meet the needs of travellers, starting with over 900 seats a week on our Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. For the past year, we have been building our capacity in Sydney and it's a pleasure to be taking up residence again in Melbourne Airport as we expand our footprint in Australia.”

“LATAM has the largest network in Latin America with connections to 144 destinations, including some of the greatest bucket list destinations in the world. We are proud to be pioneers in the region and one of the world leaders with our sustainability initiatives, including eliminating single-use plastics by the end of 2023 and being a zero-waste-to-landfill airline by 2027. We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.”

Victorian Minister for Industry and Innovation Ben Carroll said: “We're backing the return of LATAM Airlines – it will help power our economy by boosting exports, creating jobs and welcoming more tourists and students from Latin America.”

Lorie Argus, Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer said: “The resumption of LATAM's Melbourne - Santiago service once again provides Victoria with a direct connection into South America and we're very excited to have them back.” 

“We know this growing market is important for local exporters but also for an increasing number of Victorians wanting to visit friends and family, and LATAM's extensive network means millions more people now have one-stop access to our great state.”

The first LATAM Airlines Melbourne flight will take off from Santiago on 1 September 2023, arriving in Melbourne on 2 September and taking off on the same day as per the schedule below:

Schedule:

To make a booking, visit latam.com or contact your travel agent. 

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Media Contact

Kate Jenkins | +61 (0)490 401 492 | kate@beyourbrand.com.au 

Contact LATAM for interviews and images. 

ABOUT LATAM GROUP

LATAM Airlines Group S.A. is the leading airline group in Latin America, with a presence in five domestic markets in the region: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, as well as international operations within Latin America and to Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand.

The group has a fleet of Boeing 767, 777, 787, Airbus A321, A320, A320neo and A319 aircraft.

LATAM Cargo Chile, LATAM Cargo Colombia and LATAM Cargo Brazil are the cargo subsidiaries of the LATAM group, having a combined fleet of 17 cargo aircraft, which will gradually increase to a total of 20 cargo aircraft by 2024. These cargo subsidiaries have access to the group's passenger aircraft and operate within the LATAM group's network, as well as on exclusive international routes for cargo transportation. In addition, they offer modern infrastructure and a wide variety of services and service options to meet the needs of their customers.

www.latam.com