Brazilian Airline TAM has added four new Airbus planes to its fleet: two A319's and two A320's. The arrival of these aircraft. says the company, supports TAM's strategy to operate a fleet with a low average age. TAM recently leased another A320 and two Boeings 767-300s.
The Brazilian airline now has a fleet of 116 aircraft, including 110 Airbus planes (17 A319's, 76 A320's, 3 A321's, 12 A330's and 2 A340's), 2 Boeings 767-300's, 3 MD-11's, and a 1 F100 in the process of devolution.
At the start of 2008, the company began operating in the domestic market with a fleet made up exclusively of Airbus aircraft. The company plans to close 2008 with 123 aircraft. The projection for the end of 2012 is for 147 planes to be in operation.
The A320's used by TAM present a configuration of 174 and 156 seats, the latter with 12 seats in business class and 144 in economy class. The A319's, with a configuration of 144 seats, are used in domestic flights, mainly in the shuttle between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
To sustain the expansion of its international network, TAM will also be receiving two Airbus A330's by the end of the year. In the second half of this year, the company will receive four Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft as well, to replace the MD-11's used for long-distance routes.
TAM has been the leader in the Brazilian domestic market since July 2003, and closed last June with a 48.6% market share. Among Brazilian airline companies that operate international flights, TAM's market share was 75.3%.
The company operates flights to 42 Brazilian destinations. It serves 79 different destinations in the domestic market through commercial agreements with regional companies. Its international operations include its own flights to 15 destinations in the United States, Europe and South America. Additionally, it has codeshare agreements with international airline companies that allow passengers to travel to another 64 destinations.
