With the commitment to be more efficient and sustainable, LATAM Airlines takes a step forward with renewing its fleet, announcing that it will have 31 A320neo family aircraft in operation by the end of 2023. This will allow the LATAM group to replace its aircraft with more modern and efficient ones, increase its fleet and continue recovering its operation compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The purchase of additional Airbus aircraft will bring LATAM’s total to over 100 A320neo, A321neo and A321XLR aircraft by the end of this decade. LATAM currently operates 16 Airbus A320neo aircraft, and its first A321neo will join the fleet this year, with the first A321XLR expected to arrive in 2025.
“The renewal of the fleet we are carrying out fully aligns with our commitment to sustainability and brings us closer to becoming a carbon-neutral airline by 2050. The Airbus A320neo aircraft has more efficient engines, aerodynamic improvements and technologies that provide a 20% lower fuel consumption, with a 50% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions”, says Sebastián Acuto, Director of Fleet and Projects, LATAM Airlines.
The Airbus A321neo consumes 22% less fuel per seat than the previous model, the A320ceo. In addition, the Airbus A321XLR is a narrow-body, single-aisle aircraft with the longest flight range in the world (7,400 km) and up to 38% less fuel consumption per flight than a wide-body aircraft with two aisles.
Most of LATAM’s A320 family aircraft fleet is equipped with software that reduces annual CO2 emissions by more than 60,000 tons by optimising the aircraft’s landing path.
LATAM Airlines currently has 311 aircraft, 57 passengers Boeing (767, 777 and 787 models) and 238 Airbus aircraft (A319, A320, A320neo and A321 models). In addition, LATAM Cargo Chile, LATAM Cargo Colombia and LATAM Cargo Brazil have a joint fleet of 16 cargo planes, which will gradually expand to 20 cargo planes by 2024.
