MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

LATAM restructuring plan to be tested 17 May in New York; junior creditors dissent

LATAM Airlines, created in 2012 following the merger of Chile's LAN with Brazilian rival TAM, still has to bring dissenting stakeholders on board.

LATAM Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy in the United States in 2020 after being hit by the coronavirus-related travel downturn, said around 65% of its low-ranking creditors had backed the restructuring plan, which it said was “fair and considered all stakeholders.”

A committee representing junior creditors filed an objection to the restructuring plan in court on Monday, calling it “fundamentally flawed” and alleging it would improperly benefit shareholders such as Delta Airlines at their expense.

LATAM Airlines, created in 2012 following the merger of Chile's LAN with Brazilian rival TAM and with operating units in Chile, Brazil, Colombia and Peru, still has to bring dissenting stakeholders on board.

The plan, in which LATAM hopes to raise US$ 5.4 billion, has also received objections from a Chilean bank representing local bondholders and the U.S. Department of Justice's bankruptcy watchdog.

The airline's lawyers will ask a New York judge to approve its proposal in court May 17. “LATAM continues to aim to complete the process and exit from Chapter 11 in the second half of 2022,” the airline said in a statement.