Aircraft

Chile's flag carrier LAN Airlines announced an intention to buy 26 Boeing 787s and lease six more in a potential deal valued at $3.2 billion with delivery between 2011 and 2016.

The proposal would mark the largest order of 787s in Latin America, beating Avianca’s previously announced order for ten 787s, says Boeing.

LAN, a Oneworld carrier, expects to start taking delivery of the 32 Boeing 787s that it plans to acquire through lease and purchase arrangements in 2011.

It does not reveal which variant of the 787 it will be acquiring, except to say that they will be “long-haul aircraft”. It also makes no mention of an engine selection in its statement.

“These new aircraft are aimed to replace and grow the company’s long-haul fleet, and will allow LAN to operate new international routes that will be added to LAN Airlines’ current network including LAN Peru, LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador,” says the airline.

“This is the largest fleet order in LAN’s history and is in addition to LAN’s previously announced fleet orders, which include the incorporation of 52 new passenger and cargo aircraft for short- and long-haul routes, scheduled to be received between 2007 and 2011.”

Boeing rolled out the first assembled 787 on July 8 in a public premiere that celebrated the aircraft’s runaway commercial success in advance of flight test. The aircraft has amassed 677 bookings so far, excluding the potential deal with LAN.

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