LAN Airlines celebrated 80 years of dedicated service to passangers and cargo customers
LAN Airlines announced the company’s 80 th anniversary. Eighty years ago LAN began offering passengers and cargo clients stellar air transportation service. To commemorate this important milestone, celebrations will take place throughout the year. Eighty years ago today, Commander Arturo Merino Benitez created this company in Chile, a national air transportation service provider that would one day become the leading Latin American airline.
LAN and its affiliates in Chile, Peru, Argentina and Ecuador connect the region to Europe, the United States and the South Pacific. In addition to boasting an important air service provider status in each of the first three domestic markets named above, soon Ecuador will have this same standing.
In 1946 the company operated its first international flight between Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1956 the company provided service to Lima, Perú and, a few years later, in 1958, LAN flew its first flight to Miami. Then in 1970, the company began to offer service to Europe. The first year LAN transported 762 passengers, quite an accomplishment for the times. Today, 80 years later, LAN and its affiliates transport more than 13 million passengers annually and through its cargo cargo subsidiary, 660,000 tons of cargo.
Another way to look at LAN’s current capacity is to break these numbers down even further. On a daily basis 45,000 people choose the LAN brand to travel to the most important cities in the region. Thanks in large part to LAN and its affiliates’ comprehensive network, travelers can enjoy ease of travel to amazing destinations.
One of these is Cuzco, where LAN Peru offers up to 18 daily flights from a diverse number of cities throughout Peru. Another is the exotic Easter Island where LAN Airlines offers flights 5 to 7 times per week. One of the most popular destinations in the region is Patagonia in Chile and Argentina, where service is offered to cities like Ushuaia, Punta Arenas, El Calafate and Bariloche. In the near future, LAN Ecuador will begin offering service to the Galapagos Islands.
“During this, our anniversary year, we stand proud of our company’s accomplishments and are grateful to our passengers and to the cargo customers of our affiliate, for continuously choosing LAN for their transportation needs. Without this loyalty and preference, we would not have reached this milestone anniversary. We will continue working to offer the best service and remain committed to economic growth, to the tourism industries in each of the markets we serve, as well as the continued development of the airline industry in Latin America”, stated Enrique Cueto, LAN’s Chief Executive Officer.
