Brazilian airline LATAM expects its restarted route between São Paulo and Johannesburg to carry around 75 000 passengers per year, much to the excitement of the inbound tourism industry.
Flight LA8058, a Boeing 787-900 aircraft had 90% of its 300 seats full for the inaugural flight. The aircraft has 213 seats in economy, 57 in premium economy, and 30 in business class.
The flight touched down at JNB on Sunday, September 3, an hour earlier than its expected 08h10 arrival time. The touchdown was the restart of the route after a three-and-a-half-year break, opening up a much-needed, and currently the only direct connection to the South American market.
The flight operates three times per week on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, departing Sao Paolo at 17h25. The JNB- São Paulo flight departs on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays at 13h10.
“Finally, we are reconnecting these two cities, which means two continents. Thanks to the agreements with local airlines in South Africa and our network of destinations in South America, we can offer the best flexibility to explore an entire region,” said David Ioppolo, LATAM’s Regional Commercial Director for Central and South East Europe, the UK, Nordics, Middle East and South Africa.
