LATAM Cargo Expands Freight Capacity with 18th Freighter

LATAM Cargo has taken delivery of its 18th freighter aircraft which will be used to help target the South American flower market.

The Boeing 767BCF will be utilised on services operating out of Colombia and Ecuador.

The group will add seven new frequencies departing from Quito, Bogota, and Medellin to increase the capacity offered to customers of the floriculture sector by 20%.

Since 2019, LATAM Cargo has tripled its operations from Medellin and Bogota, going from operating 12 weekly flights in 2019 to 35 in 2023.

In the case of Ecuador, the group’s presence has grown by 131% since 2019, with 13 weekly departures from Quito in that year, which will rise to nearly 30 during this year.

LATAM Cargo chief executive Andrés Bianchi said: “When we embarked on the cargo fleet growth plan, we made a firm commitment to our customers to support them in their long-term needs. The strategic decisions and the addition of this new cargo aircraft are a direct response to this commitment.

“From investing in the right fleet to significantly increasing frequencies on emblematic routes, such as those supporting the floriculture sector, which now positions LATAM Cargo Group operators as leaders in the transportation of one of the region’s most iconic products: flowers originating in Colombia and Ecuador.”

The carrier added that the arrival of the new aircraft also strengthens the network of destinations that LATAM Cargo Group offers from its hub in Miami.

In recent weeks, the group has announced new flights from Miami to San José dos Campos (Brazil), Guayaquil (Ecuador), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), San Salvador (El Salvador), and Georgetown (Guyana).

The carrier will add a 19th freighter to its fleet by the end of the year.