Melbourne Airport will have a daily connection to South America for the first time in its 55-year history when LATAM increases the frequency of its Santiago service from December.

The extra flights will add an additional 1800 seats a week between Victoria and LATAM’s key hub, providing one-stop connections to dozens of destinations across Chile and South America.

LATAM’s expanded offering will initially operate as a seasonal service through the Northern Winter (Australian summer) season using a Boeing 787-9 with 180-degree lie-flat beds in Premium Business class.

The announcement follows a new May record for international travel at Melbourne Airport, with a 9.7 per cent year-on-year increase in passengers processed through the international terminal.

The airport welcomed a total of 904,605 international travellers in May, which is up more than 54,000 on the previous May record, set in 2019.

Total passenger volumes were up 3.4 per cent year-on-year, with domestic travel remaining relatively flat.

Flights to foreign destinations are arriving and departing fuller, with passenger loads outpacing the 5.5 per cent growth in seat capacity.

Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer Lorie Argus said the numbers highlighted the need for the airport’s planned terminal expansion and third runway.

“Our international terminal has been setting new records all year, as travellers and exporters take advantage of international airlines adding more capacity to Victoria,” she said.

“We are working with our airlines to secure agreement on the much-needed expansion of the international terminal and Melbourne Airport’s third runway- which will give them the space and flexibility they need to continue growing.

“Today’s announcement by LATAM is a further sign of confidence in Victoria and the increase in services will provide benefits to people on both sides of the Pacific.

“LATAM is South America’s largest carrier, and this will mark the first time that Melbourne has had a daily, non-stop connection to the continent, which is incredibly exciting.

“South America is an increasingly popular region for Victorian tourists and businesses but we’re also seeing growing interest in Victoria as a destination for education, trade or holidays.”