LATAM Airlines lands in Melbourne for the first time post-COVID

LATAM Melbourne Airport on Saturday, September 2, 2023.
Edited by Travel Weekly


LATAM Airlines has restarted its flights to Melbourne, ending a three-and-a-half-year break due to the COVID pandemic.

In the early hours of today, 14 September, flight LA805 landed in Melbourne with 292 passengers on board, all of whom received a celebratory gift from the carrier to mark the occasion.

Traditional Chilean Cueca dancers greeted passengers at the airport. (Supplied)

“LATAM Airlines is excited to relaunch our direct flights to Santiago, Chile,” country manager (Oceania) LATAM Airlines, Chris Ellis, said. 

“With the support of the Victorian Government and Melbourne Airport, we are able to meet the high demand for travel to South America.”

“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.”

Ellis also commented on the airline’s sustainability practices, “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.”

Lorie Argus, CEO of Melbourne Airport said he is incredibly proud to welcome LATAM back to Melbourne.

“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,”he said.  

“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.”

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