South American carrier LAN Peru will further strengthen the LATAM Airlines Group’s connectivity to the United States from the middle of this year when it launches a new regular link between Lima and Orlando, its fourth destination in the country.

The carrier, an affiliate of the LATAM Airlines Group, plans to introduce a daily non-stop link between its base at Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport and Orlando International Airport from June 20, 2015, subject to government approval.

"Conversations for this new non-stop city have been in development for several years and this is testament to the business case behind it and the new Orlando International Airport incentive plan for new international markets," said Vicki Jaramillo, senior director marketing and air service development told Routesonline.

“'Conversations for this new non-stop city have been in development for several years and this is testament to the business case behind it and the new Orlando International Airport incentive plan for new international markets.”

Vicki Jaramillo
Senior Director Marketing and Air Service Development, Orlando International Airport

The new service will be operated by a 126-seat Airbus A319 and will provide a new option for travellers to connect between South America and Orlando, a popular leisure destination best known for its amusement parks and attractions. LAN Peru expects to carry more than 80,000 passengers per annum on the route.

“We want to continue connecting Peru to the world, just as we have for the last 15 years; we want our passengers to reach more destinations while enjoying the service, quality and punctuality that they deserve,” said Félix Antelo, general manager, LAN Peru.

“An estimated 41,000 passengers from Peru alone are expected to fly this route, with an overall projection of 80,000 passengers when adding those connecting through Lima from other LATAM Airlines Group destinations,” he added.

According to LAN Peru the most popular connecting markets are likely to include Buenos Aires and Cordoba, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; La Paz and Santa Cruz, Bolivia; and Asuncion, Paraguay, which will be connected to Orlando through Lima with connection times of under 1 hour and 40 minutes.

“LATAM Airlines Group’s international operations have grown considerably over the last few years,” said Nicolas Goldstein, general manager, LATAM Airlines Group Long Haul Business. LAN Peru’s new route between Lima and Orlando is a reflection of the commitment made by LATAM Airlines Group and its affiliates to connect South America to the rest of the world.”

LAN Peru already provides links into the US from Lima with flights to Los Angeles, Miami and New York, but serves over 100 destinations through the country through its codeshare partners. Alongside the new Orlando link, it will also boost capacity between Lima and New York John F Kennedy International Airport from April 4, 2015 with the introduction of two additional flights per week.

In each of the past three years more than 400,000 bi-directional O&D passengers have flown between Peru and the State of Florida with Miami and Fort Lauderdale the largest markets. In our analysis, below, we look more closely at bi-directional O&D demand between Peru and Orlando over the past ten years.