LATAM Airlines Brazil still has aims to create a hub in Brazil’s northeast, but instability remains

Brazil's recession has forced the country's airlines to adjust their capacity and network strategies in the short term as economic growth contracted in 2015 and 2016. LATAM Airlines Brazil during 2015 declared plans to establish a hub in the country's northeast to create efficient connections between South American and Europe, but economic weakness forced the airline to put those plans on hold.

But LATAM remains steadfast in its belief that a northeastern hub is necessary for efficient trans-Atlantic connections, and it aims to move forward with those plans once demand in Brazil stabilises.

LATAM is joining other airlines operating in Brazil in concluding that generally, traffic is recovering at a slow pace, with corporate business taking some time to reach levels recorded prior to the country's recession.