
Chile’s LATAM Airlines, the largest airline in the region, posted a US$ 60 million loss in the first quarter, compared with a US$ 92 million profit in the same period last year, due to a strong U.S. dollar and weak demand from Argentina.

LATAM Airlines Group was named for the second year running as the ‘Best Global Airline in South America’ in the Passenger Experience Association of Airlines (APEX) Passenger Choice Awards in Los Angeles, California. LATAM was also recognized for the ‘Best Seat Comfort’, ‘Best Cabin Service’, ‘Best Entertainment’ and ‘Best Wi-Fi’ in South America.

Emirates has announced a new code share partnership agreement with LATAM Airlines Brazil covering domestic services in Brazil, providing greater choice and connectivity to its customers.

Falkland Islands' lawmaker MLA Barry Elsby told the Legislative Assembly that the new Latam flight to São Paulo is set to start in November, adding that contractual negotiations with the air carrier are “well advanced and nearing completion.”

The Executive Council has today Wednesday authorised the Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands Government to complete the necessary negotiations with LATAM Airlines Brazil and to finalise a contract, subject to agreement with MLAs, to establish and operate a new weekly route between Sao Paulo and the Falkland Islands.

Budget carrier Norwegian Air plans to start flights between London and Rio de Janeiro in March to break what it said was a monopoly enjoyed by British Airways between the two cities.

The Argentine financial newspaper Ambito Financiero is insisting with its version of the agreement reached on the second commercial flight of the Falklands to the region, which is anticipates will be formally announced by president Mauricio Macri and UK Prime Minister Theresa May when they meet next 30 November in Buenos Aires in the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit.

* MLA Elsby anticipates the public will be engaged on the final proposal. A final decision on where in Argentina a second commercial flight from the Falklands to a third country in the region will land “has yet to be made,” assured Member of Legislative Assembly Barry Elsby on Thursday.

The second commercial flight from the Falkland Islands to a third country in the region with a stopover in an Argentine airport has been agreed, according to reports in Ambito Financiero, a Buenos Aires financial daily.

The Chilean Association of Tourism Companies (ACHET) Monday announced it will take the question of the agreement of Latam Airlines with American Airlines and International Airlines Groups (IAG), which was approved last Wednesday by the Court of Defense of Free Competition (TDLC), to the Supreme Court, the Diario Financiero newspaper reported.