LATAM Airlines Group reached an agreement with Boeing to cancel pending orders for four Boeing 787-9s and one 777-200F, subject to the approval of the United States Bankruptcy Court. The application was submitted last week.
“As a result of the changes, LATAM will maintain its purchase orders for two Boeing 787-9s, with delivery date for December 2021. These agreements establish that LATAM will no longer be responsible for other aircraft orders, which are now closed,” said the Latin American group in its quarterly financial report.
As reported by partner site AEROIN, the parties reached an agreement on April 29, 2021 and the hearing is scheduled for May 19.
According to details revealed in the group’s petition to the United States Bankruptcy Court, mandatory under ongoing Chapter 11 proceedings, the four canceled 787-9s were due to be delivered in 2022 and 2023. The order was initially placed in 2007 by LAN Airlines and consisted of twenty-six units, including ten 787-8s and sixteen 787-9s.
All -8s were delivered to the airline between 2012 and 2014, while deliveries of the ten -9s began in 2015. The airline continues to operate the ten -8s and six of the ten -9s. The remaining four were retired from the fleet in 2020. However, LATAM also operates six 787-9s from the leasing company AerCap.
On the other hand, the order for the Boeing 777 freighter was placed by TAM Linhas Aéreas in 2017. Delivery was scheduled for 2024 and would have been the first 777 operated by Latam Cargo Brazil.
The LATAM Group itself ordered two Boeing 777-200Fs, which were delivered to LATAM Cargo Chile in 2012. However, the airline subsequently transferred the aircraft to Southern Air in 2015 and 2018, respectively.
