LATAM Airlines to add up to 300 flights for Rio Olympics

SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chile-based LATAM Airlines Group SA, Latin America’s largest carrier, said on Friday it plans to add up to 300 additional flights to service the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games Aug. 5 to Aug. 21.

LATAM, which was formed in the 2012 merger of Chile’s LAN and Brazil’s TAM carriers, said it was taking a number of measures in preparation for the games, including increasing the number of employees on the ground as well as security and retrofitting planes for Paralympic athletes.

The airline has invested as much as 20 million Brazilian reais ($5.66 million) in its Olympic operation, it said.

LATAM projected it will transport approximately 25 percent of those traveling by plane to Rio de Janeiro for the games, including 30 percent of Paralympians.

(Reporting by Gram Slattery; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)