LATAM announced that it has closed an additional order for five 787 Dreamliner widebodies with Boeing. The new aircraft will bring the model’s fleet to 46 units in the coming years, said the Chilean airline.
The carrier, however, did not specify which versions will be received. Currently, LATAM’s Dreamliner fleet has 10 787-8 and 23 787-9.
For the first time, LATAM’s 787s will be equipped with GEnX engines, supplied by GE.
Until now, only Rolls-Royce has supplied the Trent 1000 turbofans, but that left the company with several aircraft on the ground due to a problem years ago.
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“These actions are aligned with LATAM’s commitment to sustainability and bring the group closer to its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050,” said Ramiro Alfonsín, CFO of the LATAM group.
“The incorporation of GEnx engines provides greater flexibility and options for the growth of the group’s long-range fleet. Furthermore, the expansion of the Boeing 787 fleet will allow LATAM to operate two different engine models recognized for their cutting-edge technology and reduced environmental impact,” added the executive.
With this order, LATAM isolates itself as the largest operator of the 787 Dreamliner in Latin America. In addition to the Santiago-based company, Avianca has 13 aircraft in its fleet and Aeromexico, another 20 planes.
LATAM has a fleet of widebodies that includes the 767, currently being transformed into a freighter, in addition to 10 Boeing 777-300ER inherited from TAM.
The airline was the launch customer for the Airbus A350-900 in Latin America, but decided to remove it from its plans amid the pandemic.
