LANCHILE CARGO POSTS 35.5% ANNUAL GROWTH

LANCHILE CARGO POSTS 35.5% ANNUAL GROWTH LanChile, Chile’s national flag carrier, reported a 35.5-percent increase in cargo revenue to $474.3 million for 1999, mainly due to continued expansion of its leased and owned freighter fleet.
      Cargo sales improved 31.5 percent to $146.7 million in the fourth quarter, on a 25.8-percent increase in traffic. LanChile launched new service from Miami to Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador, and saw cargo yield rise 4.5 percent.
      “Higher cargo yields resulted from both a cargo fuel surcharge implemented in October and the company’s increased presence in higher yielding markets, such as Ecuador,” the airline said.
      LanChile expects its cargo business to continue to grow this year. In December, it took delivery of a second B767-300 freighter, which primarily flies a transatlantic route between Chile and France via Miami twice a week. LanChile said it plans to take delivery of a third B767 freighter in August.
      The new B767-300’s “have surpassed all performance standards and will be used for the gradual replacement of the company’s fleet of five rented DC-8s,” the airline said.
      LanChile also leases B747-200 freighters from Atlas Air.