LATAM Invests US$7m in Largest South American MRO

DALLAS – LATAM (LA) is investing US$7 million in its São Carlos maintenance facility to accommodate its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The site is scheduled to begin operations in September 2025 and is the largest investment in the maintenance base in the past 10 years.

Construction at the LATAM MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul), the group’s maintenance and repair center, will begin on November 15.

According to LA, the new hangar will allow LATAM group to bring more services in-house, reducing costs and improving aircraft availability for flight operations. Currently, the heavy maintenance of LATAM group’s Boeing 787s is conducted in Chile, and it will continue through the group’s international network of external providers.

LATAM Executives Comment

“LATAM reaffirms its commitment to operational efficiency and regional development with this investment in the maintenance center in São Carlos,” said Enrique Parada, Engineering and Maintenance Director for LATAM group.

“In addition to enhancing the group’s services, the new facility will be equipped to paint large aircraft and conduct preventive maintenance on up to three Airbus A320 family aircraft simultaneously.”

Advanced technologies such as drone inspections and autonomous logistics carts will be incorporated.

The LATAM MRO’s hangar project will also create 300 new jobs in São Carlos, including positions for assistants, storekeepers, aeronautical mechanics, planners, and engineers.

LATAM currently operates 37 Dreamliners and plans to have 52 by 2030. On Monday, October 28, LATAM announced the purchase of 10 new Boeing 787s.

The MRO

LATAM MRO, located in São Carlos, a city in the interior of São Paulo state, Brazil, employs a team of 2,000 and is responsible for over 60% of all scheduled maintenance for LATAM group aircraft.

"This project represents a direct impact on the creation of new job opportunities in the region and in the economic development of the region itself. With this investment, LATAM Airlines Brazil is here to complement what we are already offering as a maintenance center and expand it," highlighted Alexandre Peronti, Maintenance Director of LATAM Airlines Brazil.

The MRO covers 95,000 square meters, has 22 workshops, and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology. International certifications, including EASA, FAA, and DGAC Chile, back its work. In 2019, it became the first such facility in Latin America to use drones for aircraft inspection.

According to the group, drones have made the inspection process 12 times more efficient than traditional inspections, capturing between 1,600 and 2,000 detailed images of the aircraft fuselage and using artificial intelligence to identify potential damage.

The LATAM Fleet

LATAM has a presence in five domestic markets in Latin America: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It also has international operations within Latin America and in Europe, Oceania, Africa, the United States, and the Caribbean.

The group has a fleet of Boeing 767, 777, 787, Airbus A321, A321neo A320, A320neo and A319 aircraft. LATAM also operates 21 freighters.