Speaking at the opening day of ABAV Expo 2026 in São Paulo, LATAM Airlines Brazil unveiled an aggressive growth plan that will see the carrier operate 32 international destinations from Brazil by mid-2027 and introduce 24 next-generation Embraer E195-E2 aircraft into its domestic network. Aline Mafra, LATAM Brazil’s Director of Sales & Marketing, confirmed that the first twelve E195-E2s will begin revenue service in November 2026, enabling the airline to open thinner point-to-point routes such as Brasília–Ribeirão Preto and Curitiba–Cuiabá that are popular with corporate travellers but could not previously sustain narrow-body capacity. Internationally, LATAM will add year-round services to Brussels, Amsterdam and Cape Town and expand its seasonal operations to Punta Cana and Ushuaia, capitalising on robust premium-leisure and MICE demand. The airline is also investing heavily in the passenger experience. A retro-fit programme for Boeing 787s is rolling out business-class suites with closing doors, while a new ‘Premium Comfort’ cabin—positioned between economy and business—will enter sales later this year. A flagship LATAM Pass lounge in São Paulo-Guarulhos Terminal 3 is slated to open in May 2027. From a distribution perspective, Mafra said more than 60 % of LATAM’s Brazil-originating sales are now processed through NDC channels, with post-ticket servicing functionality scheduled for completion in early 2027. Travel-management companies were advised to update mid-office systems to capture new fare attributes and forthcoming Brazilian tax codes. For mobility programmes, the announcements translate into wider nonstop options for relocating staff, better inventory visibility through NDC, and potential cost savings on secondary city pairs that previously required connections via São Paulo or Rio.
Source: Brasilturis
