LATAM increases frequency of non-stop flights between Melbourne and Santiago, Chile

Additional flights will make it easier than ever for Australians to experience South America

LATAM Airlines Group today announced that it will increase the number of flights on its non-stop service between Melbourne and Santiago, Chile, in response to growing demand from passengers travelling between Australia and South America.

Starting 1 January 2019, LATAM Airlines will increase its service between the two cities from three to five flights per week, providing greater access to LATAM's South American network of over 120 destinations. The service, which launched on 6 October 2017, is the only non-stop connection between Melbourne and Santiago and has significantly reduced travel times between the two cities.

"LATAM is committed to providing unrivalled connectivity to, from and within Latin America so that more people have the opportunity to experience the unique destinations our region has to offer," said Roberto Alvo, Chief Commercial Officer, LATAM Airlines Group. "With two extra weekly flights, we expect to transport an additional 50,000 passengers per year between the two cities."

LATAM Airlines flight LA804 will depart Melbourne (MEL) at 20:10 (local time) on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, arriving in Santiago (SCL) at 19:05 the same day (local time), with a flight time of 12 hours 55 minutes. The return flight (LA805) will depart Santiago at 12:45 (local time) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, arriving in Melbourne at 17:30 (local time) the following day, with a journey time of 14 hours 45 minutes.*

Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation, Simon Gandy, welcomed LATAM's expansion: "Since LATAM's entry into the Melbourne market, the number of passengers travelling between Melbourne and Santiago has grown significantly, demonstrating the positive impact the airline's service has had on tourism and education. On behalf of Melbourne Airport, I thank the whole team at LATAM Airlines for their continued confidence and support to these services out of Australia's busiest 24/7 airport."

This sentiment was echoed by John Eren, the Victorian Government's Minister for Tourism and Major Events, who said that an increase in the number of direct flights to Santiago would open up more business opportunities for both Victoria and Latin America: "Our relationship with Chile is growing and today's announcement will attract even more Latin American visitors to our state and help this relationship to thrive."

In addition to its Santiago-Melbourne service, LATAM also operates seven flights per week from Sydney to Santiago (via Auckland). Both flights are operated by state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 aircraft, offering 30 seats in Premium Business and 274 seats in Economy.

Santiago is one of LATAM's principal hubs and offers onward connections to over 120 destinations throughout Chile and Latin America, including Torres del Paine National Park (via Punta Arenas, Chile), the Galapagos Islands, Cartagena de Indias in Colombia, Iguazú Falls (via Puerto Iguazú, Argentina) and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Later this month, LATAM will also launch a direct flight from Santiago to Cusco, the gateway to Machu Picchu, offering convenient connections with flights to and from Australia.

Through LATAM's oneworld partners, passengers in Australia can easily connect to Sydney and Melbourne from locations across the country, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Gold Coast and Perth as well as from destinations throughout Asia ranging from the metropolises of Hong Kong, Singapore and Beijing to the tourist capitals of Bangkok and Bali.