Summary
- LATAM seeks waiver from US DOT for new business class mini-suite seat designs on Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
- The airline plans to deploy Dreamliners with new business class seats to the US as early as December 2024.
- LATAM has also significantly invested in improving the economy cabins of its Dreamliners.
LATAM Airlines will soon have new business class seats on its Boeing 787 Dreamliners and has sought approval from the US Department of Transportation due to rules related to accessibility. Because of the design of the new business class seats on its planes, LATAM needs a waiver from US authorities before it can deploy these aircraft on routes to the country.
LATAM seeks waiver for new business class seats
LATAM
will deploy its Boeing 787 Dreamliners with new business class mini-suite seats to the US, as specified in a regulatory filing with the Department of Transportation. Specifically, the carrier will start operations with its Boeing 787-8 with the new seats to and from the United States in December, while its 787-9s featuring the new seats will begin flying to the US in November 2025.
Photo: Omar F Martinez | Shutterstock
The filing is in relation to an accessibility rule by the US DOT that states that “aircraft of foreign air carriers ordered after May 13, 2009, or delivered after May 13, 2010, with 30 or more passenger seats must be equipped with passenger aisle seats with movable armrests on at least one-half of the aisle seats in rows in which passengers with mobility impairments are permitted to sit,” as highlighted in LATAM’s application.
LATAM is asking for a waiver on the grounds that the new business class mini-suite seats on the B787-8 and B787-9 aircraft do not have armrests as traditionally seen on airplane seats. It explains that passengers with mobility impairments “can transfer horizontally into the new business class mini-suite seat without being lifted over an armrest or other obstacle through use of a glide board that the Joint Applicants will carry aboard their aircraft.”
The carrier submitted drawings and renders of the seat to consolidate its case and even cited other examples of airlines receiving waivers from the US DOT regarding their seat designs.
Photo: US DOT
Investing in new economy seats
LATAM is investing significantly in upgrading the cabins of its widebody planes. Earlier this year, the airline revealed a revised economy cabin interior on a newly delivered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with new color-block seats and entertainment systems.
While airlines usually invest heavily in premium cabins, LATAM also saw the need to provide more comfort to travelers traveling in economy, investing $15 million per Dreamliner to do so. A major upgrade in economy seats was done to its in-flight entertainment options.
Photo: LATAM
The airline’s passengers in the main cabin on these aircraft will be able to connect via Bluetooth to enjoy the region’s largest library of content. A new interactive 3D map Panasonic’s Arc™ is also part of the upgrade, among other features in the cabin. Simple Flying has discussed this in detail in the article below.
Over $100 million in profit
All of these developments come amid a rise in travel demand that has enabled LATAM to
post an adjusted Q2 2024 net profit of $104.8 million
. The carrier’s passenger revenue increased by 14.3% YoY and rose to $2.6 billion.
Ramiro Alfonsín, LATAM Airlines’ chief financial officer (CFO), said that such “solid” revenues were driven by the airline’s growing capacity and impressive finances despite being in the low season in South America.