MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

LAN Chile purchases 25 Airbus

Chilean airline Lan, one of South America's leading carriers announced this week the purchase of 25 Airbus for regional and domestic routes, an operation involving 750 million US dollars.

Lan also has the option for another fifteen A318 and A319, plus the nine A319 the company will be receiving between 2005 and 2008.

"The new aircraft will be flying in Latinamerica, including domestic routes in Argentina, Peru and Chile consolidating the growth and internationalization process of the company", said Lan in an official release.

Lan currently has subsidiary or associate airlines in Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic and Argentina and recently was awarded 27 new frequencies Chile/Brazil. In the first quarter of 2005 the company's profits reached 46,3 million US dollars.

The Chilean flag carrier has a fleet of 56 passenger aircrafts and seven for freight, and with the incorporation of the next 25 units beginning in the second half of 2006 the company will be reinforcing its expansion strategy.

The new aircraft will replace the aging Boeing 737/200 and with the current nineteen A319 and A320, Lan will have one of the most modern short range fleets in the region.

Lan is a privately owned company under the control of the Cueto family and Sebastián Piñera who is running as conservative hopeful in Chile's December presidential elections.