Exclusive Interview: Antonio Olortegui, Manager Corporate Affairs, Legal & Compliance of LATAM Peru
LATAM Airlines Peru led by Antonio Olortegui, Manager Corporate Affairs, Legal & Compliance, granted an exclusive interview to TorreElDorado, where he presented and analyzed the current panorama of the Peruvian and international air market, in the same way he explained the new biosafety protocols.
Avianca left Peru, while SKY and Viva Air are moving forward to take their place. What strategy will LATAM Peru follow?
Faced with this situation, we are focused on advancing with the operation so that it increases little by little. The entire LATAM Airlines Peru team is working hard to continue connecting the entire country and the region. Likewise, we are always attentive to any opportunity that may arise in the market.
There will be greater competition with the announcement of JetSMART to disembark in Peru, how do you see this announcement at a competitive level?
Competition is always welcome, although in terms of prices we are very competitive with low costs, we know that we have unique differentiating attributes.
Occupation
How has the restart of operations in Lima been in terms of load factors?
On July 15 we restarted domestic operations reopening the skies of Peru. With great excitement and joy, we met again with our passengers, who trusted us to be able to return home safely. The first days we have had an 80% occupational factor approximately.
What is the position of the airline regarding the new way of flying?
The world changed and so did we. We have adapted and we are proposing a new way of flying. Today we are even more committed to the safety of our passengers. We now highlight the flexibility factor, which allows the date to be changed until 12.31.21, without penalty or rate difference.
What are the company’s biosecurity protocols?
All the measures we are taking seek to reinforce our security protocols to guarantee the protection of our collaborators and passengers.
Use of mandatory mask and face shield
No passenger may board the plane without a mask (It is important to use it correctly, completely covering the mouth and nose.) Additionally, they must have a face shield (mobile screen) to be used during the flight.
Aircraft sanitation before and after the flight
We carry out a thorough disinfection on all contact surfaces of our aircraft with 70% alcohol.
Elimination of viruses and bacteria during the flight
During the flight you will be breathing clean air thanks to the action of the HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters incorporated into the cabin ventilation system of all our airplanes and which remove 99.9% of viruses and bacteria. This system, in addition to cleaning the air, renews it every 3 minutes, mixing a portion of filtered air inside the cabin with air extracted directly from the atmosphere.
Crew protocols
We adjust our protocols to minimize interactions with passengers. We will maintain order and distance at all times when boarding and disembarking.
Our crew will always have alcohol gel for when the passenger requires it.
The service of food, drinks and the provision of newspapers and magazines will be suspended.
Our crew will wear a mask and face shield.
How many were and what are the destinations that stopped flying from the Lima HUB and when will they be restored?
Currently we have only resumed domestic operations, we are waiting for government authorization to start with flights abroad. Before the health emergency, we arrived in 37 cities from Lima.
Cities operated from Lima: Miami, Santiago de Chile, Guayaquil, Buenos Aires, Quito, Mexico, Bogotá, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, La Paz, Madrid, Córdoba, Punta Cana, Santa Cruz, Cancun, Foz de Iguazú, Havana, Orlando, Antofagasta, Montevideo, Salta, Rosario, Barcelona, Cartagena, Tucumán, Mendoza, Rios de Janeiro, San José, Medellín, Asunción, New York, Cali, Calama, Brasilia, Montego Bay, Porto Alegre and Concepción.
National Destinations
In this first phase of reactivation, what destinations does it include?
As we mentioned, at this stage the Peruvian government has only authorized domestic routes. In this first phase we are reaching 14 cities from Lima: Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Cusco, Chiclayo, Ilo, Iquitos, Jaén, Juliaca, Piura, Pucallpa, Tacna, Talara, Trujillo and Tumbes.
What kind of new situations have arisen with passengers and crews with the new biosecurity measures?
We adjust our protocols to minimize interactions between our collaborators and passengers.
Source: Torreledorado.co, Journalists Juan Antonio Delguy
