After a three-year hiatus, LATAM will resume its flights to Johannesburg.
LATAM Airlines Group has declared it will restart its commercial route between São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), Brazil, and Johannesburg International Airport (JNB), South Africa. The route will be restarted in July 2023, with three weekly frequencies onboard the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet, after more than 3 years halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
LATAM Airlines Group announced
On Friday, LATAM Airlines Group declared it will restart its only passenger scheduled service between South America and Africa. As of July 2023, LATAM Airlines Group Brazil will operate non-stop flights from São Paulo Guarulhos to Johannesburg. The South African city will join the list of more than twenty international destinations flown by LATAM Airlines Group.
With the new route, customers will be able to reach the African city in just 9 hours on one of the three direct weekly flights that will be carried out on Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which accommodate 300 passengers (30 in Premium business class and 270 in economy class), LATAM stated in a report.
LATAM Airlines Group operates 212 international flights
As of October 2022, LATAM Airlines Group operates 212 international flights from São Paulo Guarulhos to twenty destinations, according to data by Cerium. The airline offers passenger services to destinations in South America, North America, Europe, and Asia from Brazil. From Chile, LATAM Airlines Group Chile flies to Oceania, with its recently restarted services to Auckland and Sydney.
LATAM Airlines Group had recovered approximately 72% of its capacity (measured in seats available) in the international market by September 2022. The company currently flies to twenty international destinations (it had 26 before the COVID-19 pandemic).
LATAM’s international destinations from Brazil are Asunción, Barcelona, Bogotá, Buenos Aires/Aeroparque, Buenos Aires/Ezeiza, Mexico City, Frankfurt, Lima, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Mendoza, Miami, Milan, Montevideo, New York, Orlando, Paris, Rome, & Santiago. As of October 2022, there will be 21 destinations, with the resumption of nonstop flights to Boston.
The airline hopes to close the year with a forecasted capacity of approximately 82% compared to 2019 levels. It will operate about 1,930 international landings and take-offs, an increase of 24% compared to September and more than double the volume of flights it had last year. About Johannesburg, Aline Mafra, LATAM Brazil’s Director of Sales and Marketing, stated,
“Johannesburg is another milestone in our international resumption movement, which is being carried out in a strategic way, expanding the offer where there is passenger need. This flight will meet a corporate need that has always been relevant between the countries, in addition to the potential travelers at the destination. A direct operation between the countries will undoubtedly be a differentiated product in the airline market.”
In October 2019, there were approximately 43 weekly flights between Africa and Latin America. Six airlines operated 10 routes; all of them landed in Brazilian destinations such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Recife, Salvador, and Fortaleza.
Currently, there are only 10 weekly flights between both regions, operated by TAAG and Ethiopian Airlines. TAAG flies from Luanda to São Paulo, while Ethiopian operates a daily service from Addis Ababa to São Paulo.
Thank you
