Published on September 3, 2025
LATAM Airlines, successful business pinch Fundación Soymás, has launched nan innovative “Segundo Vuelo” project, transforming utilized hose uniforms into new, useful products while offering young mothers from susceptible communities successful Chile nan chance to amended their financial independence. This imaginative inaugural integrates sustainability pinch societal effect by utilizing repurposed materials, frankincense tackling discarded while promoting employment opportunities for women.
The Struggles of Young Mothers successful Chile’s Job Market
For young mothers for illustration Mariela González, who is 22 and raising her two-year-old girl Amelie, securing elastic and general employment is incredibly challenging. Mariela erstwhile aspired to subordinate nan military, but nan demands of motherhood made that extremity astir intolerable to achieve. As she explains, “It’s very difficult to find formal, elastic activity erstwhile you’re a young mom.” Mariela’s acquisition reflects nan difficulties faced by thousands of young mothers successful Chile, wherever opportunities for those balancing caregiving responsibilities pinch master aspirations are limited.
According to nan latest National Statistics Institute (INE) data, female unemployment successful Chile has exceeded 10% successful nan March-May 2025 period, marking nan highest unemployment complaint since 2021. Furthermore, a staggering one successful 4 women aged 15-24 successful Chile are presently unemployed, highlighting nan disproportionate challenges young women look successful entering nan occupation market.
LATAM and Fundación Soymás Collaborate for Social Impact
In consequence to this situation, LATAM Airlines has teamed up pinch Fundación Soymás to create nan “Segundo Vuelo” project, a unsocial inaugural designed to reside some biology sustainability and gender inequality. Through this project, LATAM upcycles its aged hose uniforms, transforming them into various caller products specified arsenic pouches, accessories, and bags. These items are past sold aliases distributed by nan hose to customers, staff, and business partners, providing a gross root while raising consciousness astir nan powerfulness of information system practices.
The task empowers young mothers from susceptible communities by involving them successful nan accumulation process. By reusing LATAM’s discarded materials, these women are not only acquiring valuable skills but besides building a pathway toward financial independency and sustainable employment.
Circular Economy and Women’s Empowerment
The principle of nan “Segundo Vuelo” inaugural lies successful its information system approach. Rather than allowing nan hose uniforms to extremity up successful landfills, nan task repurposes them into new, high-quality products, contributing to reducing discarded and supporting sustainability goals. Johanna Cabrera, LATAM’s Sustainability Manager, elaborates: “With Segundo Vuelo, we are integrating sustainability into each measurement of our operations, reducing discarded while creating caller opportunities. We are proud to lend to female employment and make a tangible effect connected nan communities wherever we operate.”
This inaugural is besides aligned pinch LATAM’s larger sustainability strategy, which intends to go a zero-waste hose by 2027. The institution has already made important strides, eliminating single-use plastics, introducing reusable materials, and recycling complete half of its discarded successful nan first 4th of 2025.
A Broader Regional Impact
Initially launched by LATAM Group successful 2018, nan “Segundo Vuelo” task has since expanded to see collaborations pinch 11 organizations crossed Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, and Paraguay. Chile is now nan latest state to subordinate nan initiative, acknowledgment to its business pinch Fundación Soymás. To date, much than 50 tons of textiles person been recycled done this project, furthering LATAM’s extremity of zero discarded to landfills.
In Chile, nan women responsible for transforming nan hose uniforms are chiefly from confederate Santiago, wherever they are portion of Fundación Soymás. Bárbara Etcheberry, nan foundation’s executive director, speaks to nan program’s significance: “Young mothers look important barriers erstwhile attempting to participate nan general occupation market. Our ngo is to supply these women pinch nan devices they request to execute autonomy successful some their master and individual lives. This business pinch LATAM helps break nan rhythm of poorness and gives women nan intends to support their families and communities.”
Real-World Social Impact and Business Benefits
The products created done nan “Segundo Vuelo” inaugural are not only applicable but service arsenic a awesome of sustainability and societal responsibility. LATAM’s customers, employees, and partners person these high-quality items arsenic gifts aliases promotional products, contributing to a broader consciousness of sustainability and gender equality. The gross generated from these products helps support nan mothers progressive successful nan project, providing them pinch dependable income and skills for nan future.
By transforming discarded into caller opportunities, LATAM Airlines and Fundación Soymás are mounting an illustration of really firm work and organization empowerment tin spell hand-in-hand. The “Segundo Vuelo” task proves that sustainability is not only astir biology conservation but besides astir creating lasting affirmative alteration successful nan lives of nan group involved.
Photo: LATAM