LADECO Chilean Airlines today will announce a strategic commercial agreement with Malaysian Airlines that will link Asia and the Americas in a new and flexible way.
Both airlines are major carriers in their respective markets and the formal connection between them can only enhance cargo freight transfers and the tourist trade.
Passengers will travel to Kuala Lumpur, the hub of Malaysian Airlines, then via Cape Town and Johannesburg to Buenos Aires in Argentina before transferring to Ladeco for the hop to Santiago, the Chilean capital.
From there, Ladeco's pan-American network reaches out as far as Montreal in the north and Montevideo in the south, and includes all major Central and South American cities.
Victor Wong, Hong Kong-based sales co-ordination manager (Asia) for Ladeco, said: 'Ladeco is not a big airline, but it is aggressive and ambitious, as this tie-up with a really major player shows.' Both airlines were actively seeking collaborative partners, so negotiations were concluded swiftly, within two months.
'In addition, this link-up is a vital part of the Chilean Tourism Board's (CTB) goal of promoting the country as a tourist destination for Asians,' said Mr Wong.
To stimulate interest, the Chilean Trade Commission in Hong Kong has sponsored three forthcoming programmes in the TVB Jade Scenic Journeys series. To be screened next month, they will focus expressly on Chile's attractions.
