LATAM Airlines Brazil invests US$7 million in maintenance hub

LATAM Airlines Brazil has announced a substantial investment of US$7 million in the expansion of its maintenance base at LATAM MRO in São Carlos, São Paulo, marking the airline’s largest commitment to its facilities in the past decade. This funding will support the construction of a new, specialised hangar dedicated to Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, set to begin operations in September 2025. Construction will start on November 15, at the LATAM MRO centre, which is already the largest aeronautical maintenance facility in South America.

The new structure will enable LATAM to bring more maintenance services in-house, reducing reliance on external suppliers, lowering operational costs, and enhancing the availability of aircraft for flights. Currently, major maintenance on LATAM’s Boeing 787s is performed in Chile and through a network of international suppliers. However, this new facility will centralise these operations within Brazil, reinforcing LATAM’s commitment to operational efficiency. Enrique Parada, Director of Engineering and Maintenance at LATAM, highlighted that this investment complements LATAM’s existing maintenance offerings, further expanding their capacity.

In addition to serving the Boeing 787 fleet, the new hangar in São Carlos will support painting and preventive maintenance for up to three Airbus A320-family aircraft simultaneously. A specialised structure will be implemented to ensure painting activities remain isolated, thus preventing contamination and guaranteeing the highest quality standards. Advanced technology will be a core feature of the new hangar, with inspection drones and autonomous logistics carts integrated into daily operations, as already in use at LATAM’s São Paulo facility.

This expansion is expected to generate 300 new jobs within São Carlos, covering a wide range of roles, from warehouse workers and aircraft mechanics to planners and engineers, further boosting employment in the region. LATAM MRO employs 2,000 staff and is responsible for over 60% of scheduled maintenance across the LATAM Group’s fleet, positioning São Carlos as a significant aviation hub.

The LATAM MRO centre in São Carlos spans 95,000 m², with 22 workshops equipped with cutting-edge technology and certified by international authorities such as EASA, FAA, and DGAC Chile. Since 2019, LATAM has pioneered the use of drones for aircraft inspection, a first in Latin America, which has increased inspection efficiency twelvefold. This advanced method gathers up to 2,000 high-resolution images of the aircraft fuselage, using artificial intelligence to detect potential damage, while keeping records updated in real-time via cloud storage.

With the internationalisation of São Carlos Airport, LATAM MRO has expanded its facilities and equipment, creating around 450 additional jobs and reinforcing São Carlos as a key player in LATAM’s global operations.