Looking to offer its passengers the connectivity that modern day air travellers now expect around the world, as well as raise the standard of travel across its home region, Latam Airlines has selected space solutions company SES to provide multi-orbit inflight connectivity service to its growing fleet of Airbus and Embraer aircraft.
A product of a number of corporate mergers, Latam is currently the largest airline in Latin America. Its history dates back to 1929 with the creation of LAN, the National Airline of Chile. The airline made its first international flight from Santiago to Buenos Aires in 1949, then commenced operations to Lima in 1956 and to Miami two years later. In 1961, Taxi Aéreo Marilia (TAM) was created. LAN began offering flights to Europe in 1970; meanwhile, TAM started services to Brazilian cities, including Mato Grosso and São Paulo, in 1976.
Another key milestone occurred in 2011, when LAN and TAM signed binding agreements for the association of both airlines – a year later, the Latam Airlines Group was formed. In 2015, the Latam brand took over, adopted by LAN, TAM and their subsidiaries.
SES has partnered with Latam to provide in-flight connectivity to the airline’s passengers for nearly a decade, including providing 2Ku service to more than 200 A320 family aircraft. To date, Latam claims to operate the largest SES connected fleet in the Latin American region, with more than 250 aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi.
More than 60 Airbus (A320NEO and A321XLR) and Embraer aircraft (E195-E2) will be equipped with SES services in the coming years. This will mean Latam will be the largest airline in the region to offer services using SES’s new electronically steered array (ESA) antenna, which is less than seven centimetres tall and delivers connectivity to the SES low-earth and geostationary orbit network to deliver broad coverage and low latency.
SES believes that connecting to satellites in different orbits provides consistent and reliable coverage no matter the location. The ESA system already has 500 installations complete and 1,000 commitments in the pipeline.
Commenting on the new deployment, Paulo Miranda, vice-president of customers at Latam Airlines Group, said. “At Latam, we are committed to making every journey more connected. By bringing next-generation multi-orbit connectivity to more of our fleet, we will offer our passengers a faster, more reliable onboard internet experience, helping them stay connected wherever they fly while continuing to raise the standard of travel across Latin America.”
SES president of mobility Mike DeMarco added: “Latam’s passengers will soon benefit from reliable, multi orbit satellite connectivity that will provide the same fast and dependable internet access they enjoy at home no matter where or when they fly.
“SES’s partnerships with airlines like Latam highlight how carriers throughout the Americas are leading the way when it comes to the most advanced connectivity. SES is a trusted partner that powers inflight connectivity.”
The deal with Latam comes hot on the heels of SES racking up a milestone in capability of its multi-orbit antenna for installation for Boeing aircraft and inking a multi-orbit in-flight connectivity (IFC) deal with Japan Airlines (JAL) for its Airbus and Boeing long-haul fleet.
