SAO PAULO, Brazil, May 28 /PRNewswire/ --
- The company has incorporated 14 aircraft into its fleet this year
TAM (NYSE: TAM) (Bovespa: TAMM4) received three more Airbus A320s last weekend, which are being incorporated into its operational fleet. This year, TAM has already received 14 aircraft -- eleven in the A320/319 family and three MD-11s. With these acquisitions, the company will have 85 Airbus models -- 15 A319s, 60 A320s and 10 A330s.
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With the arrival of the three Airbus A320s, TAM increases its fleet to 105 aircraft (85 Airbus, 17 F-100s and 3 MD-11s). The company plans to end 2007 with 112 planes in operation.
The company's new fleet planning forecasts the inclusion of 32 aircraft during this year (14 already delivered). During 1Q07 results presentation, the company announced the acquisition of three more wide-body Airbus by the end of 2007, in addition to other two already programmed and it will increase the number of international long haul routes operation aircraft to 18 - 15 Airbus and 3 MD-11. The company estimates that it will increase its international market capacity (ASKs) by 70% during 2007.
TAM has also signed contracts with Airbus for the inclusion of another 54 aircraft, with deliveries scheduled through 2010. The contracts also include 20 options for planes in the A320 family, which may be exercised by the company in accordance with the market's growth. TAM also announced the acquisition of four new Boeing 777-300ERs and another four options, with delivery forecast for next year. TAM's strategic planning forecasts an operating fleet of 141 aircraft in 2011.
Used on domestic routes and for destinations in South America operated by TAM, the new A320s cater to the increased demand seen in the last months. In the first four months of this year, air passenger traffic on the domestic market grew 13.8%. In the same period, TAM grew 26.8% in relation to the previous year, according to official data from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC -- Agencia Nacional de Aviacao Civil).
About TAM:
TAM (http://www.tam.com.br) has been the leader in the Brazilian domestic market for more than three years, and closed April 2007 with a 50.7% domestic market share and a 69.7% international market share. The company operates flights to 49 destinations throughout Brazil. It serves 76 different cities in the domestic market through regional alliances. Additionally, it maintains code-share agreements with international airline companies that allow passengers to travel to a large number of destinations throughout the world. TAM was the first Brazilian airline company to launch a loyalty program. Currently, the program has over 4.0 million subscribers and has awarded 4.3 million tickets in exchange for points.
Web site: http://www.tam.com.br
