Governor Baker, Massport Welcome First Non-Stop Service Between Boston and Brazil

LATAM Airlines will fly Boston to São Paulo beginning in July 2018

BOSTON –Today, the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), Governor Charlie Baker, Chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group Robert Kraft, the Brazilian Consul General to Boston Glivânia Maria de Oliveira, members of the local Brazilian community and other local elected officials gathered at Terminal E to celebrate the newest and southern-most destination to serve Logan International Airport: São Paulo, Brazil. LATAM Airlines Brazil will operate four non-stop flights per week from Boston to São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport starting next July.

“Massachusetts’ global community is home to a large and vibrant Brazilian population and the Baker-Polito Administration is committed to promoting access to economic opportunities and growth for all of the Commonwealth’s diverse communities,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This new nonstop flight to Sao Paulo will continue to advance Massachusetts’ growth through tourism and the expansion of global business connections for our residents, employers and visitors.”

São Paulo, an international business center known for its economic and cultural diversity, is the most populated city in the Southern Hemisphere with over 21 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area. São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport is also LATAM Airlines Group’s principal hub, offering connections to over 120 destinations throughout Brazil and Latin America such as Lima, Santiago and Buenos Aires.

"As LATAM’s principal hub and one of the major cities in South America, São Paulo offers unrivalled connectivity for passengers travelling from Boston and beyond. With this new route, LATAM will open more options for travelers to connect to other destinations and further discover South America, whether the trip is for business or pleasure," said Pablo Chiozza, LATAM’s Senior VP for North America, the Caribbean and Asia.

Beginning on July 2, 2018, LATAM Airlines’ flight JJ8165 will depart Boston Logan International Airport at 6:05 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, landing at São Paulo’s Guarulhos airport at 5:25 a.m. The return flight, JJ8164, will depart from São Paulo at 11:55 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, landing in Boston at 9:10 a.m. (all times listed are Eastern Standard Time). A Boeing 767 aircraft will operate the route with capacity for 191 economy passengers and 30 Premium Business passengers.

São Paulo will be the 55th international destination to be served by Logan through its newly upgraded International Terminal E. LATAM will operate year-round service from Boston to São Paulo, a city of almost 12 million people, the financial capital of Brazil and the largest healthcare hub in Latin America. The state of São Paulo is a hub for education much like Massachusetts and is home to more than 500 universities.

“The New England Patriots have hundreds of thousands of fans and followers in Brazil and there are almost one hundred companies have roots in both New England and Brazil, meaning a strong, existing business environment is ready to take advantage of more convenient air travel between Boston and Brazil,” said Robert Kraft, CEO of The Kraft Group. “This flight will provide new opportunities for commerce and economic growth, a critical component to maintaining our competitive advantage on a global scale.”

Boston will be LATAM’s sixth destination in the United States, joining Miami, Orlando, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and New York. LATAM Airlines Group serves more than 140 destinations in 25 countries with hubs in São Paulo, Brazil, Lima, Peru and Santiago, Chile. It is also a member of the Oneworld Alliance along with 12 other major airlines including American Airlines and British Airways.

"We are thrilled that a direct flight from Boston to São Paulo will start to operate next summer, and this is fantastic news for the large Brazilian community living here in Massachusetts,” said Ambassador Glivânia Maria de Oliveira, Consul General of Brazil in Boston. “We are grateful to the Government of Massachusetts, to Massport and to LATAM for making this strategic decision, which, we are sure, will lead to mutual benefits in many areas such as trade, investments, culture, academic cooperation, medicine, sports and tourism. By becoming physically closer, we certainly will be mutually enriched and help to promote development and prosperity in both countries.”

Massachusetts is home to the second largest foreign born Brazilian population in the United States with over 60,000 residents; Brazilians also make up two percent of the population of Boston. Four of the top ten cities with the most residents born in Brazil are in Massachusetts; Everett, Framingham, Marlborough and Malden. Additionally, according to The New York Times, Massachusetts residents are more likely to visit Brazil than anyone else in the United States.

“Connecting New England with the global economy is a key part of Massport’s mission. Offering nonstop service to Brazil, one of the world’s largest economies, has been a target of ours for some time,” said Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn. “We are excited to welcome LATAM to Logan to provide this service that will connect not only our economies, but families and students as well.”

Sustaining Massachusetts’ competitive edge in international travel is critical to the state’s highly travel-dependent and diversified economy; spread across sectors such as biotechnology, healthcare, education, and medical scientific research. Massport has worked to increase the number of options for international nonstop flights which help make Boston more attractive to foreign companies looking at U.S. facilities in the Commonwealth.

During the past decade, the number of international nonstop destinations from Logan has more than doubled from 27 to 55 and international passengers now account for 18 percent of its travelers. International passengers are predicted to be the fastest growing component of airport business. In 2016, 6.5 million international passengers traveled through Logan’s Terminal E.

Along with its 55 international destinations, Boston Logan also offers nonstop service to 75 domestic and served more than 36 million passengers last year. Logan has nonstop flights to South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. From Boston, passengers can fly nonstop to more than 32 countries.

International passengers fly through Logan’s newly renovated Terminal E. Earlier this year, the Terminal E Renovation and Enhancements project was completed to improve the customer experience throughout the terminal. The project added 95,000 square feet of space and renovated three existing gates, including adding the required services to accommodate larger aircraft. The project was designed to make Terminal E a true international gateway to Massachusetts, with displays throughout the terminal to showcase innovations and innovators with strong ties to Massachusetts; a Wall of Fame featuring Nobel Prize winners that have roots in Massachusetts and News Desks with local headlines.

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