Chile is the leading cherry exporter in South America with 30% travelling by air and 90% are destined for Asia for Chinese New Year celebrations.
To cater for demand, LATAM Cargo operated 19 weekly frequencies from Santiago dedicated to cherries and added an additional freighter to its fleet to increase capacity.
Claudio Torres Faini, Commercial SVP in South America at LATAM Cargo, says, “We are fully committed to providing our customers with solutions tailored to their needs. In response to a challenging season, we have implemented flexible measures, adjusting both flight frequencies and destinations. This has not only allowed us to offer our customers a greater variety of alternatives but has also generated growth opportunities, especially in the US market.”
The 2023-24 season started in mid-October with the first shipment flying to New Zealand on one of LATAM’s aircraft, which went onwards to China via interline agreements.