Brazil: LATAM invests US$7 million in largest aircraft maintenance base in South America
LATAM Airlines announces the highest investment in the last 10 years in its maintenance base with nearly US$7 million in a new specialized hangar for Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which will begin operations in September 2025.
The new structure will be built starting November 15 of this year at LATAM MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul), the group’s maintenance and repair center located in São Carlos, in the interior of São Paulo, Brazil.
The construction of the new hangar will allow LATAM to internalize more services, reducing costs and improving the availability of aircraft for air operations. Currently, major maintenance of the group’s Boeing 787s is performed in Chile (capacity that will be maintained) and in the company’s international network of external suppliers.
“LATAM reaffirms its commitment to operational efficiency and regional development with this investment in the São Carlos maintenance base. The project, in addition to improving the services provided by the group, will contribute to strengthening the region as an aeronautical hub,” said Enrique Parada, LATAM group director of Engineering and Maintenance.
→ LATAM reported net income of US$301 million in third quarter of 2024
LATAM Airlines Brazil’s new hangar in São Carlos will also be equipped to perform painting of large aircraft and preventive maintenance of up to three Airbus A320 family aircraft simultaneously. To this end, a structure will be implemented that will isolate the painting activity, preventing contamination and ensuring quality. In addition, advanced technologies will be incorporated, such as inspection by drones and the use of autonomous logistics carts, already in use at the unit in the São Paulo hinterland.
The new LATAM MRO hangar project will also generate 300 new jobs in São Carlos, including ancillaries, warehousemen, aeronautical mechanics, planners and engineers.
LATAM MRO OF SAO CARLOS
LATAM MRO, located in São Carlos (São Paulo), is recognized as the largest aeronautical maintenance center in the entire region and a world reference in the area. With a team of 2,000 employees, the MRO is responsible for more than 60% of all scheduled maintenance of the group’s aircraft.
With 95,000 m², this center has 22 workshops in São Carlos, all equipped with state-of-the-art technology and highly qualified professionals. The MRO has the capacity to perform the most complex aircraft maintenance, following manufacturers’ technical instructions and being approved by the corresponding aeronautical authorities. LATAM MRO’s quality and technical competence are backed by international certifications such as EASA, FAA and DGAC Chile.
Adopting the latest in aeronautical maintenance technology, since 2019 the São Carlos MRO has been using drones for aircraft inspection, pioneering this practice in Latin America. This innovative method has made the inspection process 12 times more efficient than traditional inspection, collecting between 1,600 and 2,000 detailed photos of the aircraft fuselage and using artificial intelligence to identify possible damage. In addition, the use of drones has eliminated the need for paper printouts, keeping records in the cloud updated in real time.
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