An interline agreement has been signed between privately owned South African regional and domestic carrier Airlink and pan-South American airline LATAM.
This means that the arrangement will provide LATAM’s passengers with seamless access to over 40 destinations in South Africa as well as farther afield in Africa when LATAM Brazil resumes its flights in September following a three-year hiatus.
Since there is currently no reciprocity in the interline agreement, LATAM may sell Airlink sectors but Airlink may not sell sectors to LATAM.
On September 2, the South American airline launched its first of three weekly flights between So Paulo and Johannesburg.
The LATAM flights will be operated with a Boeing 787-900 aircraft, accommodating 300 passengers in a three-class configuration – 30 in business class, 57 in premium economy, and 213 in economy. The travel time between Brazil and South Africa will be nine hours.
“Airlink is very proud of this partnership with LATAM as it enables connectivity between Latin America and the entirety of Southern Africa, creating wonderful leisure and corporate opportunities,” stated Rodger Foster, CEO and MD of Airlink.
According to Aline Mafra, Director of Sales and Marketing at LATAM Brazil, the arrangement would increase the appeal and “full of possibilities” of LATAM’s flights to South Africa.
According to Mafra, “the new connectivity options from Johannesburg expand the offer to LATAM customers, who can now reach significant African cities like Luanda, Nairobi, and Cape Town.”
LATAM offers direct flights from 28 cities (São Paulo/Guarulhos, Rio de Janeiro/Galeão, Brasília, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Florianópolis, and Fortaleza) to 21 foreign locations in addition to its 55 domestic destinations.
As part of its joint venture with Delta Air Lines, LATAM will launch the routes Foz do Iguaçu-Lima, Santiago-Melbourne, Guarulhos-Johannesburg, and Guarulhos-Los Angeles this year.
Source: travelnews