| |||||||
Founded | March 2005 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ceased operations | June 17, 2020 | ||||||
Hubs | Aeroparque Jorge Newbery | ||||||
Secondary hubs | Ministro Pistarini International Airport | ||||||
Frequent-flyer program | LATAM Pass | ||||||
Alliance | Oneworld (2007–20; affiliate) | ||||||
Fleet size | 13 | ||||||
Destinations | 17 | ||||||
Parent company | LATAM Airlines Group (49%) | ||||||
Headquarters | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||||||
Key people | Rosario Altgelt (CEO) | ||||||
Website | www |
Aero 2000 S.A., d/b/a LATAM Airlines Argentina, formerly LAN Argentina, was an airline based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and a member of the LATAM Airlines Group. It was the second-largest airline in Argentina at the time it was disbanded.
Prior to its acquisition by LAN Airlines, the airline was known by its legal name, Aero 2000. LAN Argentina became an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance on April 1, 2007, but left on May 1, 2020. [1] The airline was owned by LATAM Airlines Group (49%) and Argentine investors (51%). [2]
On August 28, 2013, an Argentine judge blocked the government's plan to break a long-term lease of hangar space to LAN in Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, which was seen as vital to the airline's operations. [3]
As its parent company LAN merged with TAM Linhas Aéreas and rebranded to form LATAM Airlines, LAN Argentina also rebranded to LATAM Argentina.
LATAM Airlines agreed to pay more than $22 million in civil and criminal fines relating to a decade-old Argentine bribery case. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said the fine of LATAM related to "improper payments it authorized during a dispute between the airline and its union employees in Argentina". LAN was accused of using an Argentine consultant to negotiate with unions on the company's behalf and paid the consultant via a sham contract that channeled funds to corrupt union officials. The scheme had violated the accounting provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.S. Justice Department said, and the airline agreed to pay a $12.75 million criminal penalty. It will pay a further $9.4 million, including interest, to settle the SEC's charges of inadequate accounting controls.
In May 2020, the LATAM Airlines Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection; however, its branches in Argentina and Paraguay were not included in the restructuring filing. [4]
On June 17, 2020, LATAM Argentina's parent, the LATAM Airlines Group, announced it would cease operations of the Argentine subsidiary, with all aircraft returned to lessors and all employees laid off immediately. [5] The COVID-19 pandemic had upended the airline industry around the world but especially in Latin America, where governments were reluctant to offer state aid to airlines while also imposing more-restrictive travel bans than in other regions. [6] The airline was the second largest in Argentina, after flag carrier Aerolíneas Argentinas, and operated around 16% of flights in the country in 2019. [7] [8] It was the only significant competitor to Aerolíneas Argentinas, which held around 63% of the domestic market share before the pandemic. [8] [9]
LATAM Argentina operated scheduled domestic services from Buenos Aires to Bariloche, Córdoba, Comodoro Rivadavia, El Calafate, Mendoza, Puerto Iguazú, Neuquén, Río Gallegos, Salta, San Juan, Tucumán and Ushuaia, and international services to Lima, Miami, Punta del Este, Santiago and São Paulo. Its main bases were Jorge Newbery Airport for its short-haul operations and Ministro Pistarini International Airport for its long-haul operations, both located in Buenos Aires. [2]
At the time the airline ceased operations in June 2020, LATAM Argentina's fleet consisted of the following aircraft: [10] [11]
Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Y | Total | ||||
Airbus A320-200 | 13 | — | — | 168 | 168 | Transferred back to LATAM Chile |
Total | 13 | — |
LATAM Argentina previously operated the following aircraft: [12]
Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Boeing 737-200 | 5 | 2005 | 2008 | 4 leased from LAN Airlines |
Boeing 767-300ER | 11 | 2006 | 2019 | |
Aerolíneas Argentinas, formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is the state-owned flag carrier of Argentina, and the country's largest airline. The airline was created in 1949, from the merger of Aeroposta Argentina (AA), Aviación del Litoral Fluvial Argentino (ALFA), Flota Aérea Mercante Argentina (FAMA), and Zonas Oeste y Norte de Aerolíneas Argentinas (ZONDA), and started operations in December 1950. A consortium led by Iberia took control of the airline in 1990, and Grupo Marsans acquired the company and its subsidiaries in 2001, following a period of severe financial difficulties that put the airline on the brink of closure. The airline was renationalized in late 2008. It has its headquarters in Buenos Aires. The airline joined the SkyTeam alliance in August 2012; the airline's cargo division became a member of SkyTeam Cargo in November 2013.
Iberia, legally incorporated as Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A. Operadora, Sociedad Unipersonal, is the flag carrier of Spain. Founded in 1927 and based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services from its main base of Madrid–Barajas Airport. Iberia, with Iberia Regional and with Iberia Express, is a part of International Airlines Group. In addition to transporting passengers and freight, Iberia Group carries out related activities, such as aircraft maintenance, handling in airports, IT systems and in-flight catering. Iberia Group airlines fly to over 109 destinations in 39 countries, and a further 90 destinations through code-sharing agreements with other airlines.
Cielos del Sur S.A., operating as Austral Líneas Aéreas, more commonly known by its shortened name Austral, was a domestic airline of Argentina, the sister company of Aerolíneas Argentinas. It was the second-largest domestic scheduled airline in the country, after Aerolíneas Argentinas. As a subsidiary of Aerolíneas Argentinas, the company shared its headquarters with that airline, which is located in the Aeroparque Jorge Newbery of Buenos Aires, the main base of operations of the company.
Ministro Pistarini International Airport, also known as Ezeiza International Airport owing to its location in Ezeiza in Greater Buenos Aires, is an international airport 22 kilometres (14 mi) south-southwest of the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina. Covering 3,475 hectares, it is one of two commercial airports serving Buenos Aires and its metropolitan area, along with Aeroparque Jorge Newbery. Pistarini Airport is the country's largest international airport by number of passengers handled—85% of international traffic—and is a hub for international flights of Aerolíneas Argentinas, which operates domestic services from the airport as well. It has been operated by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 S.A. since 1998.
Jorge Newbery Airfield, commonly known as Aeroparque, is an international airport 2 km (1.2 mi) northwest of downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. The airport covers an area of 138 hectares and is operated by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 S.A. It is located along the Río de la Plata, in the Palermo neighbourhood, and serves as the main hub for domestic flights in Argentina and South American destinations.
Líneas Aéreas Privadas Argentinas, more commonly known by the acronym LAPA, was an airline based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At its heyday, the carrier operated international services to the United States and Uruguay, as well as an extensive domestic network within Argentina. Additionally, the company also operated charter services. Domestic and regional flights were operated from downtown's Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, whereas an international service to Atlanta was operated from Ministro Pistarini International Airport. LAPA was the first carrier to break a monopolistic market controlled by Aerolíneas Argentinas and its sister company Austral Líneas Aéreas, offering competitive prices.
LATAM Airlines Chile, formerly known as LAN Chile and LAN Airlines, is a Chilean multinational airline based in Santiago and one of the founding companies of the LATAM Airlines Group, the largest airline holding company in Latin America. Its main hub is in the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, with secondary hubs in São Paulo, Lima, Bogotá, Quito, Guayaquil and Asunción.
AeroHonduras S.A./C.V. was an airline based at Toncontín International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. It operated scheduled flights within Central America and the United States.
LATAM Airlines Perú is an airline based in Lima, Peru. It is a subsidiary of LATAM Airlines Group, which owns 49% of the airline. It operates scheduled domestic and international services. Its main hub is Jorge Chávez International Airport. LATAM Perú is the dominant airline in Peru, controlling 73.4% of the domestic market. The airline serves as flag carrier of Peru.
Aerolane Líneas Aéreas Nacionales del Ecuador S.A. d/b/a LATAM Airlines Ecuador is a subsidiary of LATAM Airlines Group, based in Quito, Ecuador. It is owned by Translloyd (55%) and LATAM Airlines (45%).
LATAM Cargo Chile is a cargo airline based in Santiago, Chile and the freight subsidiary of the LATAM Airlines Group. It is operating cargo flights within South America, to Europe and North America from its hubs at Miami International Airport and Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport.
ABSA Aerolinhas Brasileiras S/A d/b/a LATAM Cargo Brasil is a cargo airline based in Campinas, Brazil. It operates scheduled services within Latin America and between Brazil and the United States as well as charter services. Its main base is Viracopos International Airport.
Southern Winds Airlines was an Argentine commercial air carrier that operated from 1996 until 2005. Southern Winds was founded by Juan Maggio, who served as president of the company.
Aerovías de Integración Regional S.A., d/b/a LATAM Airlines Colombia, is a Colombian airline. It is the second-largest air carrier in Colombia, after Avianca. It operates scheduled regional domestic passenger services, as well as a domestic cargo service. Its main hub is El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.
Boliviana de Aviación and stylized as BoA, is the flag carrier airline of Bolivia and is wholly owned by the country's government. Founded in October 2007 and headquartered in Cochabamba, it operates most of its domestic network out of its primary hub at Jorge Wilstermann International Airport while its international services operate out Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. It is the largest airline in Bolivia and sixth largest in South America, in terms of fleet size and passengers carried.
LATAM Airlines Group S.A. is a Chilean multinational airline holding company headquartered in Santiago, Chile. It is considered the largest airline company in Latin America with subsidiaries in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States on 26 May 2020, due to economic problems attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation.
Mas is a cargo airline based in Mexico City, Mexico, specialized in the shipment of air freight. It operates scheduled cargo services in Mexico and to the United States, Ecuador, and Colombia. Its main base is Felipe Ángeles International Airport, with secondary hubs at Los Angeles and Miami.
Avianca Argentina, legally incorporated as Avian Líneas Aéreas S.A., was an Argentine airline headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with its operational hub at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in the city. The airline operated commercially under the Avianca brand through a license agreement; however, it was independent of the Avianca Holdings. The airline ceased all operations on 7 June 2019.
JetSmart Airlines S.A., styled as JetSMART, is an Argentine airline owned by ultra low-cost carrier JetSmart, itself owned by Indigo Partners, a firm that also has stakes in US-based Frontier Airlines, Mexico-based Volaris, and Hungary-based Wizz Air. The airline uses the branding and corporate identity of JetSmart, its parent company, and operates a fleet of Airbus A320-200 aircraft with a base at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires. Its aircraft are registered in Argentina.
Media related to LAN Argentina at Wikimedia Commons