LATAM Airlines is gearing up to relaunch non-stop flights between Melbourne and Santiago, Chile in September, with the support of Melbourne Airport and the Victorian Government.
The service was pulled in April 2020 due to the pandemic, with flights from Sydney via Auckland to Santiago restarting in March 2022, first three times weekly before growing to daily services.
Beginning 01 September, the direct flights will run three times weekly, enabling passengers to fly to Santiago in under 13 hours. From Santiago, passengers will then be able to connect to more than 144 destinations across LATAM’s network.
“There has been a huge demand for travel to the region and we are thrilled to be able to meet the needs of travellers, starting with over 900 seats a week on our Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft,” LATAM Airlines Country Manager – Oceania, Chris Ellis, said.
“For the past year, we have been building our capacity in Sydney and it’s a pleasure to be taking up residence again in Melbourne Airport as we expand our footprint in Australia.”
Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer, Lorie Argus, added, “We know this growing market is important for local exporters but also for an increasing number of Victorians wanting to visit friends and family, and LATAM’s extensive network means millions more people now have one-stop access to our great state”.
