Home Travel News

LATAM is back! First flight from Santiago in two years touches down in Sydney

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, LATAM Airlines flight LA801 landed in Sydney from Santiago this morning at 6.10 am with 270 excited passengers on board.

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, LATAM Airlines flight LA801 landed in Sydney from Santiago this morning at 6.10 am with 270 excited passengers on board.

As passengers arrived in Sydney, they got their first taste of Australia in a long time, starting with some welcome ANZAC biscuits handed out by the LATAM team at arrivals.

Emotions were running high as passengers started arriving from all over South America to the waiting crowds of families and friends including children with handmade signs and balloons.

LATAM AIRLINES SANTIAGO TO SYDNEY AIRPORT B787 300322 KURT AMS 0717 1
LATAM AIRLINES SANTIAGO TO SYDNEY AIRPORT B787 300322 KURT AMS 0980

Grandparents met their grandchildren for the first time, two sisters were reunited after 22 years between seeing each other in person and families who had experienced heartbreak over the pandemic were brought back together to support each other in person. 

Chris Ellis, Country Manager, Oceania, LATAM said, “We’re beyond delighted to reconnect Australia and New Zealand with South America after two years. It’s been a pleasure to welcome the first passengers from South America today to Sydney and see the rush of emotions as families and friends have been reunited at Sydney Airport.”

Chris Ellis LATAM
Chris Ellis, Country Manager, Oceania, LATAM and the flight crew

“LATAM has the largest airline network in Latin America and we know that many of our passengers have been patiently waiting a long time for flights to resume so they can not only be reunited with loved ones but also travel to destinations they’ve been dreaming about such as the Atacama Desert, Iguazu Falls, Machu Picchu and Patagonia.”

LATAM is currently the only airline operating flights between Australia/New Zealand and South America, finally reconnecting the two continents.

The airline operates a Boeing 787-9 aircraft three times weekly and is looking to increase the schedule to five flights weekly from 1 July 2022.

Schedule

LATAM Airlines 1
Flights Frequency Origin/Time Destination/Time Destination/Time
LA800 Wednesday, Friday, Sunday Sydney (11:35) Auckland (16:40) Santiago (13:40)
LA801 Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Santiago (00:40) Auckland (05:15) Sydney (09:35)

*Schedule is in local time, valid for the months of April, May and June.

LATAM AIRLINES SANTIAGO TO SYDNEY AIRPORT B787 300322 KURT AMS 0403

Passengers departing from Sydney on LATAM’s first flight to Santiago via Auckland on 31 March will be gifted alfajores – traditional and delicious South American biscuits filled with dulce de leche.

Last week LATAM Airlines celebrated re-opening South America to travellers in Australia and New Zealand with travel industry partners at the Ovolo Hotel in Woolloomooloo.

Head to latam.com to find out more.