LATAM begins operating its first aircraft with renovated and pioneering Premium Business cabins

Santiago, Chile, April 30, 2025. On April 26, LATAM began operating the first aircraft to incorporate original and renovated cabins, featuring the Recaro R7 suites in Premium Business, which offer greater comfort and privacy - with sliding doors - and designs inspired by the natural beauty of South America, making LATAM the first in South America to offer this new experience.

In addition to the Premium Business cabins, the renovation also extends to the Economy seats, which will feature state-of-the-art seats, ergonomically designed to provide more space and comfort, in-flight entertainment, and design enhancements.

These aircraft debuted on the Santiago-Mexico route, departing from Chile at 8:10 a.m. on April 26. Two more will subsequently enter service on the Santiago-Bogotá and Santiago-Miami routes, on May 3 and 6, respectively. In the future, the three 787-8 aircraft—all based in Chile—will continue operating routes from Santiago to Easter Island (Chile), Bogotá (Colombia), Madrid (Spain), and Miami, New York, and Los Angeles (United States).

These aircraft are part of the renovation process for 24 Boeing 787 aircraft, announced in September of last year, which required an investment of US$360 million.

"Continuously seeking to modernize our fleet and elevate the flight experience in South America, LATAM is proud to be the first group in the region to innovate Premium Business with the addition of doors in our seats. This initiative offers our passengers an unprecedented level of privacy and comfort, inspired by the local beauty," said Paulo Miranda, Vice President of Customers for the LATAM group.

Of the 24 aircraft that underwent retrofitting, 10 are Boeing 787-8s, which operate international and domestic flights in Chile, and 14 are Boeing 787-9s, which operate both international and domestic flights in Chile, Brazil, and Peru.

"It's with great excitement that we enter the next phase of our partnership with LATAM and prepare for the first flight of the R7 from Santiago," said Mark Hiller, CEO of RECARO Aircraft Seating and RECARO Holding. "With a strong focus on comfort, privacy, and the elegance of South American culture, every detail has been carefully designed with the passenger in mind to enhance the overall flight experience. Congratulations to the RECARO and LATAM teams on this significant achievement."

The complete refurbishment process for the 24 aircraft is being carried out at the maintenance bases in São Carlos, Brazil, and Santiago, Chile. Installation is estimated to be completed in the second half of 2026. This is because each retrofit takes between one and two months, depending on the improvements made.

World-class suites and seating.

Premium Business Suites are completely private, with sliding doors and seats that convert into beds; they also have direct access to the aisle, shoe compartments, storage space, and USB-A and USB-C charging ports. For entertainment, each suite includes an 18-inch high-definition screen.

Economy seats, meanwhile, feature state-of-the-art, ergonomic seats with more space and comfort. They are upholstered with up to 70% recycled leather—already used in single-aisle ( narrow-body ) aircraft—a material that reduces the amount of water used in its production by 87% compared to regular leather.

Passengers will also be able to travel more comfortably in Economy Plus seats, which offer more footroom, greater recline, a footrest, and a dedicated luggage area.