SANTIAGO, Chile, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- LAN Airlines S.A. and its subsidiaries, ("LAN" or "the Company") (NYSE: LFL; IPSA: LAN), one of the leading airlines in Latin America, today reported its preliminary monthly traffic statistics and punctuality indicators for September 2009.
System passenger traffic for September increased 11.9% as capacity rose 9.3%. As a result, the Company''s load factor increased 1.8 points to 78.8%. International passenger traffic accounted for approximately 71% of total passenger traffic.
Domestic passenger traffic in Chile, Argentina, Peru and Ecuador rose 17.5% as capacity increased 15.0%. As a consequence, the domestic load factor for the month increased 1.6 points to 77.0%.
International passenger traffic for September rose 9.8% as capacity increased 7.1%. Accordingly, the international passenger load factor for the month increased 1.9 points to 79.6%. International capacity was mainly driven by an increase in operations on routes to Europe and the South Pacific, partially offset by a decrease on certain regional routes.
In line with the global decrease in import and export markets, during the month of September cargo traffic decreased 8.0%. This decrease was mainly due to the slowdown in import and export markets in Latin America, as well as the reduction of salmon exports from Chile. In line with the decrease in demand, capacity fell 7.0%, mainly through the reduction of ACMI leases. The cargo load factor reached its highest level this year at 69.8%.
During September, 90.8% of the Company''s total flights left on time based on a fifteen-minute standard (all departures leaving within fifteen minutes of the scheduled departure time are considered as "on-time"). This represented an increase of 2.1 points compared to September 2008.
About LAN
LAN Airlines is one of the leading passenger and cargo airlines in Latin America. The company and its affiliates serve over 65 destinations around the world through an extensive network that offers full connectivity within Latin America, while also linking the region with North America, Europe and the South Pacific, as well as 63 additional international destinations through its various alliances. LAN Airlines and its affiliates have a leading position in their respective domestic markets of Chile and Peru as well as an important presence in the Argentinean domestic market and has begun operations in the domestic market of Ecuador.
Currently, LAN Airlines and its affiliates operate one of the most modern fleets in the world, with 84 passenger aircraft, and its cargo subsidiary, LAN CARGO and its respective cargo affiliates, have a fleet of 11 dedicated freighters. The company recently completed its short haul fleet renovation process by acquiring new aircraft from the Airbus A320 family, enabling LAN to improve its efficiency and to reduce significantly its CO2 emissions. The fleet renovation is part of the company''s commitment to the protection of the environment.
LAN is one of the few Investment Grade airlines in the world (BBB). The company''s world class quality standards enabled its membership in oneworld(TM), the global alliance that encompasses the best airlines in the world. For more information please visit http://www.lan.com/ or http://www.oneworldalliance.com/
CONTACTS IN CHILE CONTACTS IN NEW YORK Investor Relations Maria Barona/Pete Majeski gisela.escobar@lan.com lan@i-advize.com rodrigo.petric@lan.com i-advize Corporate Communications, Inc. bernardita.sepulveda@lan.com Tel: (212) 406-3690 Tel: (56-2) 565-8785
Note: Domestic passenger statistics include domestic operations in Chile, Peru, Argentina and Ecuador.
LAN Airlines S.A.
CONTACT: Chile, LAN Investor Relations, gisela.escobar@lan.com,
rodrigo.petric@lan.com, bernardita.sepulveda@lan.com, +011-56-2-565-8785; or
New York, Maria Barona or Pete Majeski, +1-212-406-3690, lan@i-advize.com,
both of i-advize Corporate Communications, Inc., for LAN
Web site: http://www.lan.com/
http://www.oneworldalliance.com/
