LATAM Airlines Group has applied to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) seeking to amend the exemption and statement of authorization previously granted to the group by allowing LATAM Airlines Brasil (JJ, São Paulo Congonhas) to use the common LA code for its US services.
"With the May 21, 2018, entry into force of the U.S.-Brazil open skies agreement, LATAM Brasil intends to join LATAM Airlines, LATAM Airlines Perú, and LATAM Airlines Colombia in using a single brand name and common designator code in all of its services to and from the United States. The Joint Applicants view LATAM Brasil’s use of the "LATAM" brand and "LA" code as a vital element of their marketing and growth plans," the group has said in the application.
The South American group has also argued that the DOT's permit would allow it to both improve internal efficiencies and improve the level of service to its customers.
According to the ch-aviation capacity module, LATAM Brasil currently operates all of its services to the US under own code JJ. Its network includes services out of São Paulo Guarulhos to each of Las Vegas Harry Reid, Miami International, New York JFK, and Orlando International, out of Rio de Janeiro International to each of Miami and Orlando, and out of each of Belém International, Fortaleza International, Manaus International, Recife, and Salvador International to Miami.
The other three subsidiaries of LATAM Group use only the LA code for their respective flights to the US out of Bogotá, Lima International, Quito International, and Santiago de Chile. With the exception of Brazil-US services, LATAM Airlines Brasil already does so on all other routes as well including all domestic services in Brazil itself.
