LAN Argentina
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Predecessor | Aero 2000 S.A. |
| Defunct | 2020 |
| Fate | Operations terminated; fleet returned to LATAM Chile |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires , Argentina |
Area served | Domestic and international flights from Argentina |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
| Owner | LATAM Airlines Group (49%), Argentine investors (51%) |
| Parent | LATAM Airlines Group |
Aero 2000 S.A., operating under the name LATAM Airlines Argentina and previously known as LAN Argentina, was an airline headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It formed part of the LATAM Airlines Group and ranked as the second-largest airline in Argentina prior to halting its services.
History
Prior to its acquisition by LAN Airlines, the airline functioned under the name Aero 2000. On April 1, 2007, LAN Argentina became an affiliate member of the Oneworld alliance, a status it maintained until May 1, 2020. The airline's ownership structure consisted of 49% held by LATAM Airlines Group and 51% by Argentine investors.
In August 2013, an Argentine judiciary decision prevented government attempts to terminate LAN's longstanding lease agreement for its hangar at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, a facility vital to its operational capacity.
Following the merger between LAN and TAM that led to the creation of LATAM Airlines, LAN Argentina underwent a rebranding process and adopted the name LATAM Argentina.
LATAM Airlines incurred over $22 million in penalties connected to a bribery scandal dating back ten years in Argentina, involving illicit payments during union negotiations. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission identified breaches of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, resulting in a criminal fine of $12.75 million alongside a $9.4 million settlement addressing deficiencies in accounting controls.
In May 2020, LATAM Airlines Group initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings; however, this restructuring excluded its subsidiaries in Argentina and Paraguay.
On June 17, 2020, LATAM Airlines Group declared the termination of LATAM Argentina’s operations. This included returning leased aircraft and terminating all employee contracts. The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound effect on airlines throughout Latin America due to stringent travel restrictions and limited governmental financial support. Prior to the pandemic in 2019, LATAM Argentina accounted for approximately 16% of domestic flight capacity, competing mainly against the national carrier Aerolíneas Argentinas, which commanded about 63% of the market share.
Destinations
LATAM Argentina offered scheduled domestic flights departing from Buenos Aires to several major cities such as Bariloche, Córdoba, Comodoro Rivadavia, El Calafate, Mendoza, Puerto Iguazú, Neuquén, Río Gallegos, Salta, San Juan, Tucumán, and Ushuaia. Its international network linked Buenos Aires with destinations including Lima, Miami, Punta del Este, Santiago, and São Paulo. The airline’s main hubs were Jorge Newbery Airport for domestic and regional routes and Ministro Pistarini International Airport for long-distance flights.
Fleet
At the time operations ceased in June 2020, LATAM Argentina operated a fleet consisting of 13 Airbus A320-200 aircraft configured exclusively with 168 economy seats. These planes were subsequently reassigned to LATAM Chile.
| Aircraft | In service |
Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y |
Total | ||||
| Airbus A320-200 | 13 | — | — | 168 | 168 | Transferred back to LATAM Chile |
| Total | 13 | — | ||||
Retired fleet
In the past, LATAM Argentina's fleet included Boeing 737-200 and Boeing 767-300ER models. The 737-200 aircraft were leased from LAN Airlines during the period from 2005 to 2008, whereas the 767-300ER planes were in service from 2006 until their phase-out in 2019.
| Aircraft | Quantity | Entry into Service | Withdrawal Year | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-200 | 5 | 2005 | 2008 | 4 units leased from LAN Airlines |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 11 | 2006 | 2019 |