Chile's leading cargo airline, formerly LAN Cargo, hubbed at Santiago, flying Boeing 767 freighters on trunk routes between the east and west coasts of South America and Europe, a key air corridor for Chinese exports entering Chile and the southern South American market.
LATAM Cargo Chile (IATA two-letter codeUC, ICAO three-letter codeLCO, callsign LAN CARGO) is the Chilean cargo subsidiary of LATAM Airlines Group, whose cargo business traces back to the South American air freight network opened by Chile's LAN in the second half of the twentieth century. LAN and Brazil's TAM merged to form LATAM in 2012, the group adopted the LATAM brand in 2016 and cargo was consolidated as LATAM Cargo, operated by three subsidiaries: LATAM Cargo Chile, LATAM Cargo Colombia and LATAM Cargo Brasil.
The company's core cargo hub is Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) in Santiago, and its fleet is entirely Boeing 767-300 series freighters, both factory-built B767-300Fs and B767-300BCF conversions. The LATAM cargo group operates about 19 freighters, one of the largest own-operated all-cargo fleets in South America. Through SCL and the gateway airports of each country, the airline moves Chilean cherries, salmon, wine, mining equipment and minerals alongside industrial goods, e-commerce shipments and perishables from Asia and Europe between the hemispheres.
On quality certification, LATAM Cargo was the first air cargo company in the Americas to obtain independent IATA CEIV Pharma certification, and it invests in digital cargo systems such as CROAMIS to monitor and trace temperature-controlled, perishable and high-value cargo throughout. The company website is latamcargo.com, where shippers and forwarders can check the network, products and terminal procedures.
Chile is one of the longest and most open economies in South America, and its trade has long relied on a combination of air freight and ocean containers. The Santiago metropolitan area concentrates most of the country's importers, distributors and cross-border e-commerce businesses, and the SCL cargo terminal handles the great majority of time-critical cargo entering and leaving Chile. LATAM Cargo Chile carries Chilean exports of cherries, blueberries, salmon, wine and mining equipment as well as industrial inputs, consumer electronics, appliances and fast fashion imported from Asia and Europe; the two-way mix keeps load factors and schedule stability among the best in South America.
At group level the LATAM cargo network draws on the Chilean, Colombian and Brazilian cargo subsidiaries plus passenger widebody belly capacity. SCL, Bogotá BOG and São Paulo VCP form a north-south corridor inside South America; once Chinese cargo enters it, one booking covers multiple distribution points through LATAM's ground agent network, avoiding the connection risk of piecing several carriers together.
For Chinese exporters the value is not a direct flight but LATAM Cargo Chile's role as the final carrier into Chile, Argentina, Peru and Bolivia: cargo connects from a European or Oceania hub into SCL and is distributed on the South American network to Santiago, Buenos Aires, Lima, Valparaíso and other destinations, so one booking covers both the transoceanic mainline and the South American leg.
| Airline | LATAM Cargo Chile |
| Country | Chile |
| Global headquarters | Santiago de Chile |
| Main hub | Santiago SCL |
| Parent cargo group | LATAM Airlines Group |
| IATA two-letter code | UC |
| ICAO three-letter code | LCO |
| Call sign | LAN CARGO |
| Main aircraft type | Boeing 767-300F / 767-300BCF |
| Cargo certification | IATA CEIV Pharma (first in the Americas) |
| Official website | latamcargo.com |
| China business | No direct flight; connection via a European or Oceania hub |
LATAM Cargo Chile publishes no own cargo office or self-operated terminal in China. Shippers and forwarders do not book with the Santiago head office directly but through LATAM cargo stations at European hubs such as Frankfurt and Brussels, group interline channels or an authorised local agent in China. Contact the local agent in China or let Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited coordinate.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) handles bookings from China to Chile and southern South America and works with the LATAM network on space requests, rate confirmation, connections and destination distribution. Shippers can send cargo details and transit requirements through https://goodhope86.com and we work out a feasible routing via Europe or Oceania.
We have long experience with the main export commodities to Chile and with destination clearance requirements, so we set out the available routings, total transit and cost structure before booking rather than discovering after delivery that a connection does not work. For first-time exporters to South America we also advise on documentation and on contacting the importer at destination.
The three LATAM cargo subsidiaries fly international cargo entirely with Boeing 767-300 series freighters. The type is economical and well suited to medium-haul transoceanic routes; the main deck takes several standard containers and pallets and handles heavy cargo, low-density cargo and temperature-controlled perishables, which makes it the workhorse of South American regional freight.
| Aircraft type | Positioning | Payload (approximate) | Cargo accepted |
|---|---|---|---|
| B767-300F | Factory freighter | Payload about 50 tonnes; the main deck takes 24 LD units | E-commerce shipments, manufactured goods, high-value cargo |
| B767-300BCF | Passenger-to-freighter conversion | Payload about 48 to 52 tonnes; range suited to South America-Europe trunk routes | Perishables, pharmaceuticals, heavy volume cargo |
| Group total | Coordinated across the three subsidiaries | About 19 B767 freighters | Transfer between the SCL/BOG/VCP hubs |
The main deck door and side hold of the 767 freighter accept almost all international standard ULDs, so ordinary export cargo needs no special out-of-gauge modification; for temperature-controlled perishables such as cherries and salmon the carrier fits temperature-controlled zones on the main deck and has pre-cooling and cold storage at terminals including Santiago and Frankfurt. Fleet numbers change with leases, returns and conversions and follow the carrier's current publication.
Compared with large widebody freighters the 767 suits South American routes particularly well: runway lengths, terminal doors and ground equipment vary widely at the region's gateway airports, and the 767's medium payload and flexible field performance let it serve secondary gateways such as Antofagasta and Valparaíso that a 747F could not use. That choice is what allows LATAM to deliver Chinese cargo to the mining region of northern Chile and the fruit-growing south rather than stopping at SCL.
A further practical advantage is that both main and lower decks can be loaded, so heavy and low-density cargo can be combined on one flight and the space on a full planeload is better used. At booking we work out the positions from piece weight, volume and pallet dimensions and confirm oversize and special cargo requirements with the carrier in advance.
LATAM Cargo Chile has no scheduled freighter service of its own in mainland China or Hong Kong. Export cargo leaves Shanghai Pudong (PVG), Beijing Capital or Daxing (PEK/PKX), Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN), Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX), Hong Kong (HKG) and other main airports on international flights to a European or Oceania hub and connects there to LATAM freighters for South America.
| Connection path | China origin ports | Transit hub | Carrier on the South American leg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Via Europe | PVG, PEK, CAN, HKG | Frankfurt FRA / Brussels BRU | LATAM Cargo UC |
| Via Oceania | HKG and PVG | Sydney SYD / Auckland AKL | LATAM network connection |
| Transoceanic interline | HKG and PVG | São Paulo GRU / Santiago SCL | First-leg carrier plus LATAM second leg |
Times are local. LATAM's fixed European schedules are published: Frankfurt to Antofagasta (ANF) has run weekly with a B767 freighter since May 2026, supporting two-way traffic between northern Chile's minerals and Europe; from Brussels, B767 freighters connect to Santiago, Curitiba, Florianópolis, Montevideo and Buenos Aires on Thursdays and Sundays with two flights a day. Schedules change with the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
Export cargo is usually trucked or flown domestically to Shanghai, Guangzhou or Hong Kong first, then flies to the transit hub on an international service. LATAM has no own terminal in China, so handover, clearance and the first leg are handled by the originating carrier together with us, and cargo is re-planned and transferred at the LATAM terminal in FRA, BRU or SYD. This interline model requires the first carrier, the second-leg space and the transfer time limit to be fixed at booking so cargo does not sit at the hub. Our long practice has produced reliable connection windows and milestone tracking we can commit to.
For shippers in south China, Hong Kong departure via Oceania is smoother in geography and frequency; for shippers in east and north China, Shanghai or Beijing departure via Europe is the more mature connection. We recommend the origin and connection combination from the factory or warehouse location at quotation stage rather than applying one channel to every shipment.
Through the SCL hub, Chinese cargo reaches all of Chile and extends south to Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia and southern Brazil. The table lists the main gateway airports of the LATAM cargo network in South America.
SCL is both the geographic and logistics hub of the south, serving Chile's long narrow territory; B767 freighter capacity is steady and CEIV Pharma certification protects temperature-controlled and pharmaceutical cargo; European schedules are mature, so Chinese exports of e-commerce goods, machinery and consumer electronics consolidate in volume with a better balance of transit and cost than ad hoc groupage.
Compared with routings through North America, the LATAM Europe and Oceania channels avoid the US mainland, which helps cargo affected by US transhipment rules; compared with sea freight alone, air cuts the China to Chile cycle from more than 40 days to under two weeks, which suits high-value orders with tight deadlines.
| Country | Main cargo gateways | Connecting hub | Typical cargo from Chinese shippers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | Santiago SCL, Antofagasta ANF | SCL | Machinery and electrical goods, consumer electronics, solar modules |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires EZE | SCL / GRU | Auto parts, textiles, appliances |
| Peru | Lima LIM | SCL / BOG | Light manufactures, industrial consumables |
| Uruguay | Montevideo MVD | BRU/SCL connection | E-commerce shipments, small machinery |
| Brazil | Viracopos VCP, Curitiba CWQ | GRU / VCP | Telecom equipment, electronics |
Cross-border e-commerce parcels and overseas warehouse restocking for Chile, Argentina and Peru connect via Europe or Oceania into SCL and are delivered on the LATAM South American network, which suits time-critical small parcels and overseas warehouse consolidation.
Phone accessories, smart hardware, small appliances and lighting, where China is a strong exporter, ship as consolidated pallets; 767 freighter space is steady, which suits seasonal stock builds and peak promotions.
Solar modules, transformer equipment and construction machinery parts are heavy or semi-bulky cargo; demand for machinery and electrical equipment from northern Chile's mining region and new energy projects is steady, which suits consolidated heavy shipments.
Under CEIV Pharma certification, pharmaceuticals, biological preparations and high-end cold-chain products that need temperature control are recorded throughout; Chinese exports of medical devices and temperature-controlled cargo can use this channel.
Dangerous goods, live animals, valuables and oversize or out-of-gauge cargo must be declared per shipment at booking with complete technical documentation. We handle export clearance, commodity inspection and export licensing in China according to the cargo; destination clearance follows the customs rules of Chile, Argentina and other countries, import duty is by default paid by the consignee, and duty-paid delivery can be agreed at booking.
The countries and gateway airports listed are compiled from LATAM's published network and our operating experience, and actual points change with the carrier's flight programme. For secondary South American destinations not listed, we confirm at booking whether they can be reached through SCL or GRU; we do not claim a fixed connection to every city.
The diagram shows the path from the main Chinese airports through a European or Oceania hub into the LATAM Cargo SCL hub and on to the gateway airports of each South American country. Nodes are schematic and not plotted to actual coordinates; actual routings, schedules and space are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
The diagram shows that entry into southern South America is not a single channel: a European line and an Oceania line meet at SCL and radiate from there to Argentina, Peru, Uruguay and beyond. Shippers can choose the northern (Europe) or southern (Oceania) line by origin, transit requirement and rate budget, and both share the same South American distribution network after SCL, so service at destination is the same.
LATAM holds IATA CEIV Pharma certification and records temperature throughout for pharmaceuticals, perishables and cold-chain cargo; Chinese exports of high value and returning Chilean cherries and salmon can all move under temperature control.
LATAM works with intercontinental freighter carriers to offer e-commerce interline with container-to-container transfer between Hong Kong or Shanghai and South America, so cargo makes its second-leg connection inside the same ULD and destination distribution time is shorter, which suits Chinese cross-border e-commerce exports to Latin America.
After booking we give the shipper the air waybill number and milestone tracking covering terminal handover in China, transfer at the hub, arrival at SCL and distribution in South America. Where destination clearance and delivery are needed, we coordinate LATAM's local agents for airport pickup, clearance and final truck delivery, giving one handover from the Chinese factory to the South American consignee.
Rates to southern South America depend on transoceanic distance, number of connections, peak-season space and fuel surcharges, so we quote each shipment on its own facts rather than from a fixed tariff. After receiving the cargo details the shipper gets a full cost breakdown covering mainline, connection and final distribution, with no hidden charges added later.
No scheduled direct freighter service or own office in China is published. Cargo from China connects at Frankfurt or Brussels in Europe or at Sydney or Auckland in Oceania into the LATAM cargo network for South America.
IATA two-letter code UC, ICAO three-letter code LCO, callsign LAN CARGO; the cargo business belongs to LATAM Airlines Group.
Airport to airport is usually about 8 to 14 working days, and about 12 to 20 days door to door including inland pickup in China, export clearance, the transoceanic connection and distribution from Santiago; peak-season space and customs inspection can lengthen transit.
Volume e-commerce shipments, consumer electronics, machinery and electrical products, solar modules and auto parts, the main Chinese exports to South America; temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals and perishables are also accepted under CEIV Pharma conditions.
Frankfurt and Brussels offer fixed schedules and mature connections for volume cargo with a steady transit requirement; Sydney and Auckland give a shorter route for cargo from south China and Hong Kong. We work it out from the shipping date and destination.
The schedules listed are compiled from published sources; actual schedules change with the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking, which we can confirm in real time at booking on the shipper's behalf.
Ordinary cargo needs an air waybill, commercial invoice, packing list and export clearance documents; Chilean import needs a commercial invoice, bill of lading and import declaration, and food, cosmetics and electrically certified goods require the relevant market access documents in advance.
Oversize and overweight pieces are assessed per shipment against the 767 main deck door dimensions, hold volume and floor loading; where a conventional freighter cannot take them we assess a charter or split-pallet solution, based on the actual cargo data.
LATAM also carries Chilean cherries, salmon and wine back to China; the focus here is the export direction. For return cold-chain imports, ask us separately and we will plan around temperature requirements and the seasonal window.
The fourth quarter is the peak when Chinese exports to South America coincide with Chilean cherry returns, and space is tight. Book two to three weeks ahead; we reserve mainline and connection positions against the shipping plan.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) handles booking, connections and destination distribution into the LATAM Cargo network from Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and other main airports. Whether the shipment is heavy export cargo, cross-border e-commerce restocking or temperature-controlled high-value goods, we provide a full air freight solution from China to Chile and southern South America to the shipper's transit and budget.
Visit goodhope86.com for air freight optionsDisclaimer:Prepared by Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight). Airline names, codes and brand marks belong to their respective owners, and the company has no subsidiary, agency or investment relationship with LATAM Cargo Chile. Information is compiled from public sources including carrier websites, industry reports and airport notices, for reference only, and does not form a transport contract or commitment. Space, rates and schedules are subject to the actual confirmation of the carrier and its authorised agent on the day of booking.