Pharmaceutical volumes on LATAM Cargo's Europe–Brazil corridor rose approximately 150% in the first seven months of the year, driven by GLP-1 receptor agonists used to treat type 2 diabetes. The carrier moved nearly 32,000 tonnes of total freight between the two markets, up 27% versus the same period in 2025.

GLP-1 medications accounted for roughly 15% of LATAM Cargo's Europe–Brazil volume in the period. The share marks a structural shift in the carrier's transatlantic mix, where pharmaceuticals had previously played a smaller role behind general freight.

What is driving the pharma surge?

GLP-1 drugs — a category that includes semaglutide and tirzepatide — have moved from niche diabetes prescriptions into mass-market weight-loss demand across Europe and North America, lifting the cold-chain logistics chain. LATAM Cargo does not disclose unit counts.

The remaining 75% of LATAM's Europe–Brazil volume consisted of general and consolidated cargo: automation products, mining machinery, textiles, and commodities. That mix underpins why the carrier is adding lift on passenger routes while still expanding dedicated freighter capacity.

Which routes carry the volume?

Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Italy served as the principal origin markets for Europe-to-Brazil flows, followed by the Netherlands and France. The three busiest passenger belly routes in the period were Lisbon–São Paulo, Madrid–São Paulo, and Frankfurt–São Paulo.

On the freighter side, Frankfurt–Viracopos and Brussels–Viracopos led the schedule. LATAM Cargo added two new passenger routes — Brussels and Amsterdam to São Paulo — and opened a new freighter link between Brussels and São José dos Campos, giving forwarders an alternative to Viracopos.

What does LATAM Cargo say?

"The growth in pharmaceutical transport demonstrates how demand for specialized logistics solutions is gaining prominence between Europe and Brazil," said Jorge Carretero, cargo sales manager Europe at LATAM Airlines Group. "Our priority is to support this evolution through a safe, efficient operation equipped for the specific requirements of each cargo type."

Carretero added: "At the same time, the 27% growth in total volume reinforces the importance of connectivity between both markets and our network's capacity to serve diverse economic sectors."

What is the broader network bet?

The figures position pharmaceutical cold-chain as the fastest-growing segment on LATAM Cargo's transatlantic network, even as general cargo dominates absolute tonnage. Cold-chain shipments require temperature-controlled handling, active container monitoring, and airport-to-door transit times that few carriers replicate at scale.

Viracopos remains the anchor gateway for European pharma into Brazil's interior industrial belt. São José dos Campos, by contrast, gives LATAM a direct line into São Paulo state's metropolitan market and the pharmaceutical distributors clustered there — a routing choice that could pull share from competitors reliant solely on Guarulhos.

What comes next?

LATAM's Europe–Brazil schedule will be tested through year-end as GLP-1 manufacturers continue expanding production capacity out of European plants. New passenger belly lift from Brussels and Amsterdam adds roughly two daily widebody rotations into Guarulhos. Whether that incremental seat capacity can keep pace with the 150% pharma trajectory will determine whether the network absorbs the surge organically or requires additional freighter wet-lease support into 2027.