Latam Airlines Group will consolidate all its carriers,
including Lan Airlines and Tam Linhas Aéreas S.A., into a single brand over the next three years,
the company announced Thursday.
Since Lan and Tam merged
in 2012, they've operated as separate brands, but the parent company's goal
has been to provide a carrier that can provide seamless coverage to the entire
South American continent, Latam senior vice president for the United States,
Canada and Caribbean Pablo Chiozza told BTN
at the Global Business Travel Association’s annual convention. Joint
corporate contracting between the two brands was available immediately after
the merger, and last year Tam left
Star Alliance to join Lan in Oneworld, which “gave us huge leverage,”
Chiozza said.
“Most of the travel managers require that you have the whole
of South America with one contract, and that’s what we can offer,” he said.
“Whether you are from the West Coast or East Coast and getting to the east or
west coast of South America and then traveling domestically in whatever
country, that’s what we can offer right now.”
Lan, Tam, their affiliates and subsidiaries and Latam’s
cargo carriers will make branding for aircraft, airports, crew uniforms,
websites, offices and loyalty programs consistent as Latam, according to the
company. Those changes will “gradually become visible” in 2016, though the
company has not announced a timeline for all specific elements.
Latam also is growing service in North America, Chiozza
said. It recently added service to Toronto, as well as connections from Orlando
to Lima and Brasília.
It also is swapping out for larger aircraft on some existing routes, he said.
At the same time, Latam plans to create an international hub
in northeastern Brazil—in Natal, Forteleza or Recife—according to Chiozza. That
hub could bring additional service to North America or Europe, he said.