MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lan Cargo and GE sign 12-year maintenance program for turbines

The Chilean flag air carrier has one of the most modern fleets in the world.

Chile’s Lan Cargo signed a twelve year agreement with the Aviation Department of General Electric for the maintenance, upkeep and repair of the GE90-110B engines of its fleet of four Boeings 777. The operation involves 135 million US dollars.

“GE Aviation has supplied Lan with turbine maintenance and repair programs for many years”, said Doug Izarra, GE Aviation regional sales general manager for Latinamerica and the Caribbean.

“We are very satisfied that Lan Chile has chosen us as their support supplier for its fleet of GE90, and we are committed to deliver an exceptions service and backing”, added Izarra.

Lan Cargo belongs to the Latin American Airlines group, one of the largest airlines in Latinamerica and has one of the most modern air fleets in the world with 84 passenger aircrafts and 11 for cargo.

Last November GE Aviation acknowledged Lan for having reached 1.5 million flight hours with its CF6-80C2 turbines which power its Boeings 767.

In related news Lan reported thatits passenger traffic rose 11.4 in May compared with a year earlier, but cargo traffic fell by 17.4% as global crisis drags on Latinamerican trade.

International passenger traffic rose 4.8% during the month, compared with the year-ago month. Domestic passenger traffic in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, went up by 30.2%.

Lan accounts for more than one half of Chile's international passenger traffic and nearly three quarters of its domestic traffic.