LATAM Airlines Group has confirmed plans to deploy its first Airbus A321XLR aircraft in 2027 to serve secondary cities in Europe and the US. The carrier committed €2.8bn to the order at list prices.
LATAM Airlines Group has 13 Airbus A321XLR aircraft on order with the first deliveries expected in the 2027 offering the range of 5,930 km/4,700 nautical miles allowing the airlines to displace the widebodies with the aircraft doing the job with half of the capacity (180 seats versus 280) and related economics of narrowbody flying.
LATAM revealed plans to launch three new international routes from São Paulo starting in 2026, connecting the city to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Brussels in Belgium, and Cape Town in South Africa. These additions will significantly enhance connectivity between South America and both Europe and Africa.
Passengers travelling from Santiago in Chile, Montevideo in Uruguay, Asunción in Paraguay, Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Bogotá in Colombia will benefit from convenient connections through São Paulo, with layovers limited to a maximum of four hours.
The new services will operate using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, which offer capacity for 300 passengers, including 30 seats in business class and 270 in economy. Flights to Amsterdam will commence on 29 March 2026 with three weekly departures on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
The Brussels route begins on 1 June 2026, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Both European services will depart São Paulo at 18:00 and arrive the following day at 13:10. The Cape Town route launches on 1 July 2026, with flights on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays departing at 22:45 and returning the next day at 15:50.
LATAM is the largest airline brand in the South America owning nine airline subsidiaries operating the passenger and cargo services in the Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru.
LATAM plans to use the A321XLR on the long-haul routes from the bases like the Lima, Brasilia or northeast part of the Brazil reaching the destinations in the US or Southern Europe.
The airline has been in talks about opening a direct service to Dublin, which is beyond A321XLR range but could ab accessed by an aircraft such as the B777 freed up by the new deliveries.
The aircraft featured the premium business cabin, redefined economy product and flexibility to complement the network in the markets where the widebody aircraft competed inefficiently. The A321XLR served the dual purpose opening the new destinations, replacing the 767-300ER fleet, taking over the routes to the US with added frequencies and expanding to the Europe from the secondary hubs like the Fortaleza.
Cities within 3,000 – 5,900km/1,860 – 3,660 miles range include:
- Bogotá, Colombia: North into the Andean region.
- Mexico City, Mexico: Further north in North America.
- Miami, New York City, Washington DC, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Denver
- Caribbean Islands: Like Caracas, Venezuela, or the Dutch Caribbean.
- Cape Town, South Africa: A significant flight across the South Atlantic.
- Lisbon/Madrid: Parts of Southern Europe are within reach.
LATAM third-quarter 2025 financial results showeda net profit of US$379m, up 25.8pc increase from the same period in 2024 and passenger numbers of 22.9m.
Aline Mafra, director of Sales and Marketing for LATAM Airlines Brazil, shared: LATAM’S commitment to improving global connectivity, stating that the new destinations will enable passengers departing from or connecting through São Paulo to reach 83 cities across four continents. This expansion underscores LATAM’s strategy to strengthen its position as a leading carrier linking South America with key international hubs.
