LATAM Airlines Group has plans to receive up to 72 aircraft by 2028

LATAM Airlines Group has plans to receive up to 72 aircraft between 2021 and 2028, according to the latest financial statements by the company. Approximately 97% of these incoming planes will be produced by Airbus, the remaining by Boeing.

South American airline LATAM is currently under a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States. The airline is currently evaluating the adequate fleet needs for the following years.

LATAM has already rejected the leasing contracts of a few aircraft. Maybe the most unexpected was LATAM deciding to finish the leasing contract for its Airbus A350 fleet earlier this year.

The carrier has also negotiated with Airbus and Boeing regarding future deliveries. For instance, LATAM announced an agreement to purchase 28 Airbus A320 aircraft in August.

In its third-quarter financial results, LATAM said,

“Agreements regarding its fleet commitments have been reached with Boeing for two 787 Dreamliner aircraft and Airbus for a total of 70 A320neo family aircraft, which are 20% more fuel-efficient, reaffirming LATAM’s commitment to a modern fleet and its long-term sustainability strategy.”

The airline expects to receive these planes through 2028. Nevertheless, LATAM could modify the dates as a result of the ongoing discussions held with aircraft manufacturers.

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In the last 17 months, LATAM has changed its fleet size accordingly to the current crisis. The airline has rejected many leasing contracts, such as the Airbus A350 subfleet. It has also announced some interesting movements, like turning its Boeing 767-300ER fleet into freighters to serve the growing cargo segment.

On December 31, 2019, LATAM’s fleet was 342 airplanes, including several subleased aircraft. Fast-forward, as of September 30, 2021, LATAM’s fleet is 302 aircraft.