By Brazil Stock Guide – Latam Airlines Group SA (LTM) inaugurated a new hangar at its São Carlos maintenance center in Brazil after investing 40 million reais ($7.2 million), creating 300 jobs in the process. The Hangar 9 facility was completed in just 10 months and will handle heavy checks for Boeing Co.’s (BA) 787 Dreamliner, expand painting capacity for large aircraft and allow preventive maintenance for up to three Airbus SE (AIR) A320s simultaneously.
Vice President Geraldo Alckmin attended the ceremony alongside Latam executives. The company emphasized that the São Carlos maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) center is the largest in South America and a benchmark in global aviation services.
“The new hangar consolidates São Carlos as a true aerospace development hub in Brazil,” said Jerome Cadier, CEO of Latam Airlines Brazil. “Alongside our Mechanics School and our history of continuous innovation, this project enhances our excellence in maintenance.”
With Hangar 9 operational, the group’s heavy checks for the Boeing 787, previously performed abroad, will now be carried out in Brazil. The move aims to improve competitiveness, cut costs and speed up aircraft turnaround times. The facility incorporates advanced technologies such as drones for exterior inspections and autonomous carts for logistics.
Mechanics school and workforce training
In December 2024, Latam opened its Mechanics School in São Carlos, the only training center certified by Brazil’s aviation regulator Anac to qualify new maintenance professionals. By August 2025, the program had attracted more than 1,700 applicants for just 20 openings, prompting the airline to expand enrollment to 80 students. Women account for 44% of the selected candidates.
Largest maintenance hub in South America
Operating since 2001, the São Carlos MRO spans 95,000 square meters, includes nine hangars and 22 workshops, and employs about 2,000 workers. It carries out more than 60% of Latam’s scheduled fleet maintenance. The center is certified by leading regulators including Europe’s Easa, the US FAA and Chile’s DGAC. Since 2019, the site has deployed drones powered by artificial intelligence to perform digitalized external inspections up to 12 times faster than traditional methods.
Recent projects include a 78 million reais plan to transform the site into a research, development and innovation hub. The expected arrival of Embraer SA’s (EMBR3) E195-E2 jets to the airline’s fleet in the second half of 2026 will further strengthen São Carlos as a regional aerospace hub.