LATAM Airlines Launches Brussels-São Paulo Route, Ending 26-Year Gap

LATAM Airlines, the largest carrier in Latin America, has launched a direct passenger route between Brussels Airport and São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport, restoring the first nonstop connection between Belgium and South America in more than a quarter-century. The service, which began on June 1, 2026, operates three times weekly using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner configured with 300 seats, marking a strategic bet by the Chilean-Brazilian airline group on Brussels as a key European gateway.

A Historic Gap Filled

The inaugural flight — LA8088 from São Paulo — arrived at Brussels Airport on June 2, greeted with a traditional water salute by airport firefighters and samba dancers. The route fills a gap that had persisted since 2000, when Brazilian carrier VASP ended its operations to Belgium. For 26 years, travelers between the two countries had to connect through hubs such as Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, London, or Lisbon.

According to Brussels Airport, the new service is the first direct passenger link with Latin America in over 25 years. “We are delighted to warmly welcome LATAM Airlines to Brussels Airport with this new direct connection to São Paulo,” said Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport. “This announcement is an important milestone for our airport.”

Route Details and Aircraft

The eastbound flight from São Paulo (GRU) departs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 6:10 PM, arriving in Brussels (BRU) at 10:50 AM the following day. The westbound return operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, departing Brussels at 1:10 PM and arriving in São Paulo at 8:25 PM local time. The approximately 12-hour flight is operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with 30 seats in Premium Business and 270 in Economy.

As FlyMag noted, the 787-9 gives LATAM the range to connect Brazil with Northern Europe while offering a modern passenger product and significant belly cargo capacity. The 30-seat Premium Business cabin is particularly important for a route with strong corporate demand tied to pharmaceuticals, chemicals, finance, and multinational business travel.

Codeshare and European Connectivity

A key component of LATAM’s strategy is its codeshare agreement with Brussels Airlines, which provides passengers access to 17 onward European destinations. These include Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Lyon, Marseille, Manchester, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Geneva, Zurich, Prague, and Warsaw — giving Brazilian travelers a single-ticket connection to cities across Northern and Central Europe.

Thibaud Morand, LATAM Airlines’ General Director for Europe, Asia, and Oceania, said: “The launch of new routes and the reinforcement of frequencies from Europe to South America mark a significant milestone in our regional growth strategy, enabling more passengers to travel directly between both continents,” as reported by Travel Tomorrow.

Cargo as a Critical Revenue Stream

The route adds more than 100 tonnes of weekly freight capacity, a crucial component of its business case. Brussels Airport is Europe’s leading pharmaceutical logistics hub, making the corridor particularly valuable for temperature-sensitive cargo moving between the continents. LATAM Cargo has been increasing its presence at Brussels since September 2024, and the airport has become the most important European transport hub for the airline’s cargo division.

Brussels Becomes LATAM’s 10th European Destination

With the addition of Brussels, LATAM now serves 10 European destinations from Brazil, joining Amsterdam, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, and Rome. The airline transported over 87 million passengers last year and operates a fleet of approximately 370 aircraft serving more than 150 destinations across 20 countries.

According to Omni Flights, the expansion aligns with broader industry trends where airlines are optimizing widebody capacity to capture both premium passenger segments and high-yield freight. For Brussels Airlines, the partnership provides a low-risk method to offer South American connectivity without deploying its own widebody fleet.

Strategic Significance for Brussels Airport

Brussels Airport welcomed 24.4 million passengers in 2025 and handled 795,000 tonnes of cargo, serving 205 destinations worldwide through 83 airlines. The LATAM route strengthens the airport’s long-haul credibility and competitive position against nearby mega-hubs such as Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Frankfurt.

The route benefits from a broad demand base: business travel driven by Belgium-Brazil trade and pharmaceutical links, visiting-friends-and-relatives traffic from the Brazilian community in Belgium, tourism in both directions, and diplomatic and institutional travel tied to Brussels’ role as the home of EU and NATO institutions. Via São Paulo, passengers can connect onward to more than 135 destinations across South America.

What to Watch

Industry observers will be watching the route’s load factors in its early months as a bellwether for demand. Questions remain about whether LATAM will increase frequency beyond three weekly flights and whether additional South American destinations — such as Santiago, Lima, or Buenos Aires — could follow. The route also faces headwinds from the global jet fuel crisis, with Russia having suspended kerosene exports, adding cost pressure across the industry.

For now, the return of a direct Brussels-São Paulo link represents a landmark moment — reconnecting Belgium with Latin America and signaling confidence in Brussels as a viable long-haul gateway for one of the world’s largest airline groups.