LATAM Group to add 10 Boeing 767-300 BCF

LATAM Group to add 10 Boeing 767-300 BCF: Over the course of the next three years, the LATAM Group announced that its freight fleet development would be expanded, which will now include 10 Boeing 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF). By 2023, the fleet will go up to 21 cargo carriers. In December 2021, the service of the first aircraft is scheduled.

Initially, four firm conversion orders with Boeing and four more conversion options were included in the Group’s freighter Fleet development strategy. LATAM exercised the 4 options, 8 planes, and 2 more Boeing 767-300ERs two months after the initial announcement. That means that by the end of 2023, up to 21 aircraft will be in the freighting fleet. Once the plan is over, its cargo capacity has almost doubled as well as the average fleet age will also be decreased from 17 to 14.

With the growth of 11 to 21 freight carrier systems, the cargo subsidiaries of the LATAM Group will be able to extend, strengthen and place the Group as the main freight carrier group in Latin America. The first 8 aircraft were assigned to critical markets for main customer segments.

In the first quarter of 2021, freight revenue for LATAM increased by 36.8 percent to $345.2 million for airliners. In March, LATAM announced that up to eight 767 will be converted to cargo in order to protect this market.

Although all the converted freight aircraft will be received by LATAM, the airline shall operate in a hybrid format with commercial aviation. For this sort of flight, the airline will use around 767-300ER.

It will remove the seats completely from three aircraft that allow up to 46 tons of payload per flight. There are currently two such aircraft operating. In the next few months, the third will be available.

“In general terms, the majority of the plan focuses on improving connectivity between North and South America. In particular, capacity from Colombia and Ecuador will be strengthened to support the flower export industry. Additional flights to support Chilean salmon exports as well as import traffic into the country will also be reinforced. Capacity to and from Brazil will also go up as we add routes from North America and Europe, boosting both the export and import markets”, said Kamal Hadad, LATAM Cargo’s Network and Alliances Director.

Read More: Converting a Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft into a freighter

Hadad added that the freighter fleet flexibility will help LATAM assess a range of options. “For example, the two additional conversions could be used to refresh the current fleet or to begin new growth projects. The Group still has time to make the relevant decisions,” he concluded.

Read More: Indigo to start cargo business converted 2 passenger jets to a full freighter.