MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lan air traffic expands 20%.

Chilean flag carrier Lan announced that sales in the first half of the year expanded 20% in line with a more air travel dynamic world market.

Enrique Cueto, deputy CEO revealed numbers during an air travel conference in Santiago.

Lan which also operates with affiliates in Peru, Ecuador and Dominican Republic reported that overall passenger traffic in the first six months of 2004 increased 21,6% and freight 17,6%.

The Chilean flag carrier that has targeted becoming Latinamerica main airline reported 48,1 million US dollars profits in the first half of this year.

The company which is controlled by the Chilean Cueto and Piñera families recently signed an agreement with the Mexican group Cintra, which owns AeroMexico and Mexicana, to promote air links between North America and the Southern Cone. Lan has also targeted the Argentine market but so far has been unsuccessful in finding a suitable partner.