IAG Cargo will add routes from London Gatwick to San Jose (Costa Rica) and Lima, and from Madrid to San Juan in 2016.

“These new flights will give customers more capacity, flexibility and choice when it comes to shipping goods to Latin America,” said Rodrigo Casal, regional commercial manager of Latin America at IAG Cargo. “In May 2016, IAG Cargo will now offer customers a weekly lift of up to 2,700 tonnes into Latin America. There has been no direct air link between the UK and Lima since 1982 and with our ability to offer direct flights from our two European hubs, we now offer unrivalled flexibility for businesses looking to connect with Peru, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico.”

The Gatwick-San Jose flight, scheduled to start from April 27, 2016, will be operated twice a week by a British Airways Boeing 777-200ER, which has a cargo capacity of 18 tonnes.

The Gatwick-Lima flight will be offered three times a week and will start on May 4, 2016. The route will also be flown with a 777-200ER.

From May 15, 2016, an Iberia Airbus A330-200 will fly between Madrid and San Juan three times a week, with 15 tonnes of cargo capacity.

IAG is expecting the new services to benefit the pharmaceutical sector. According to IAG, pharmaceutical sales in Costa Rica are estimated to grow from US$800 million in 2014 to US$2.3 billion by 2024, while the Peruvian pharmaceuticals market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.2% to US$3 billion by 2024.