LATAM Airlines reboots Santiago-Melbourne route

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LATAM Airlines has resumed flights to Melbourne, Australia, following a pause of almost three and a half years due to the pandemic. Yesterday (Sunday 3 September), at 5:30 am, flight LA805 landed at Melbourne Airport with 292 passengers on board — the start of thrice weekly flights from Santiago. The oneworld member carrier resumed services to Australia in March 2022, with Sydney via Auckland to Santiago flights operating three times a week. Currently, LATAM offers daily flights from Sydney via Auckland to Santiago. “LATAM Airlines is excited to relaunch our direct flights to Santiago, Chile. With the support of the Victorian Government and Melbourne Airport, we are able to meet the high demand for travel to South America,” said Chris Ellis, LATAM Airlines Country Manager – Oceania. “Our Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will operate three weekly direct services between Melbourne and Santiago, offering over 900 seats per week for both business and leisure travellers. With our return to Melbourne Airport, we now have a total of ten weekly flights connecting Australia and South America.”

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“LATAM Airlines is the leading airline in South America, serving over 144 destinations. Whether it’s for leisure or business, there is so much to explore in this remarkable part of the world. We take pride in being pioneers in the region and global leaders in sustainability. By the end of this year, we will have eliminated single-use plastics, and our goal is to become a zero-waste-to-landfill airline by 2027. We can’t wait to have you on board with us soon,” Ellis remarked. Steve Dimopoulo, Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events said: “LATAM’s return to Melbourne is a vote of confidence in our visitor economy as we welcome back more tourists and students from Latin America while boosting exports and local jobs.” Lorie Argus, Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer said: “The resumption of flights to Santiago restores our direct connection to South America and also brings the number of international carriers flying into Melbourne back to pre-pandemic levels. “These direct flights are not only great for Victoria, thanks to Melbourne Airport’s single terminal precinct, they also provide an easier connection for travellers from Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and the ACT,” Argus said. LATAM Airlines flights between Melbourne and Santiago will operate on the following schedule:

Flight no.	Frequency	Origin/Time	Destination/Time
LA804	Tue, Thu, Sat	Melbourne (MEL) 1225	Santiago (SCL) 1120
LA805	Mon, Wed, Fri	Santiago (SCL) 0055	Melbourne (MEL) 0530+1

Lead image: At Melbourne Airport flanked by folk in traditional Chilean garb, from left are Chris Ellis, Country Manager, LATAM Airlines; Lorie Argus, CEO, Melbourne Airport and Steve Dimopoulous, Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events.

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