LAN’s Affiliates in Argentina, Ecuador to Join Oneworld

Oneworld is to beef up its position with new services in Latin America with the addition of two more carriers in the region –LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador. The two newest carriers in the LAN alliance will become affiliate members of Oneworld as soon as the necessary joining technicalities can be completed. All parties have committed to ensure that this takes place as early as possible in 2007.

With Chile-based LAN Airlines a full member of the alliance since June 2000, along with its domestic subsidiary LAN Express and Peruvian sister LAN Peru as affiliate members, the latest additions will mean Oneworld will have five Latin American airlines in its grouping.

Their addition also builds further on Oneworld’s position as the leading Spanish-speaking alliance.

Their recruitment accelerates what was already Oneworld’s the biggest expansion program in its history, with recruits Japan Airlines, Malev and Royal Jordanian preparing to join early next year, taking the alliance’s network to almost 700 destinations in approaching 150 countries.

Besides LAN Airlines, American, Iberia and British Airways, Oneworld’s other existing members include Qantas, Cathay Pacific and Finnair and a dozen affiliates. A further five affiliates will join with Japan Airlines.

The two new affiliates will considerably broaden the alliance’s network within Latin America, through the addition of a domestic schedule within Argentina and regional international services to and from Argentina and Ecuador, besides expanding its links between the region and North America and Europe.