Latam Cargo consolidates its position between South America, Los Angeles and Mexico City
In April, LATAM Cargo announced the incorporation of Los Angeles (United States) and Mexico City (Mexico) to its cargo network with the aim of mitigating the impact generated by the reduction of belly capacity-modality with which It served these markets - and maintained its operation in the relevant markets of its clients.
After its incorporation, LATAM Cargo has consolidated its offer and has become a key player in permanently connecting South America to and from the western part of North America. Specifically, it is the only airline that offers a stable itinerary and capacity.
In addition to the above, LATAM Cargo's offer in these areas stands out for the robustness of its network as it is the only one that offers direct routes to connect Chile with Los Angeles and Mexico City, and Peru with Mexico City. Similarly, it offers a direct connection from Los Angeles and Mexico to Chile and Peru. Additionally, LATAM Cargo offers the possibility of extending its coverage, connecting the western part of North America with Brazil and Argentina via Santiago de Chile.
In Northbound direction, these routes favor the export of products from South America, such as salmon from Chile, perishables and textiles from Peru, and general cargo from Brazil. In particular, the route to Los Angeles is especially relevant for the export of perishables as it is a connection center with the Asian continent. In sum, the company makes available 350 tons of capacity per week from South America to the western part of North America.
On the other hand, by offering connectivity from Los Angeles and Mexico City, LATAM Cargo benefits South America's supply of perishables -mainly fruits and vegetables-, medicines, electronic products, parts for planes, cars and mining, among other items. From Los Angeles and Mexico City to South America the company totals a weekly offer of 190 tons.
“The incorporation of Los Angeles and Mexico City to our cargo network is part of our strategy focused on providing a robust connectivity offer to the interior of America through a reliable and permanent solution for our clients. These measures are complemented by the increase in frequencies between South America and North America implemented at the start of the pandemic, with which we have consolidated our position in the region, "said Kamal Hadad, Director of Alliances and Network of LATAM Cargo.
Other measures adopted by LATAM Cargo
During the last four months and in the context of the pandemic, the LATAM Cargo Group has carried out a series of modifications in its itinerary and operation with the aim of mitigating the negative effects that the restriction of belly capacity may have on customers, as well as it is constantly evaluating its operation to satisfy the needs of its clients.
One of the measures adopted was to quintuple the cargo supply between Santiago (Chile) and Miami (United States), going from 6 to 31 weekly frequencies to deliver a robust solution to salmon exporters, one of the main industries in Chile. In addition to the above, it increased connectivity from Miami to South America by 15%, going from 23 to 26 frequencies.
Regarding the operation, the company began to regularly use passenger aircraft for the exclusive transportation of cargo on international and domestic routes using different materials, including B777, B787, B767, A320 and A321. In some cases, it has incorporated the use of seat containers to optimize the cargo transport capacity of passenger aircraft. With this strategy, LATAM Cargo complements the capacity delivered by its exclusive cargo fleet consisting of eleven B767Fs.