First scheduled Las Vegas-Brazil flights to launch in June

Get ready to Samba, Las Vegas.

The first regularly scheduled flights connecting Las Vegas and Brazil will launch June 21, when LATAM Airlines offers nonstop seasonal service three times a week, airline officials said Monday.

LATAM will fly from McCarran International Airport to São Paulo on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays for summertime flights through Aug. 30, airport spokeswoman Christine Crews said.

Return flights from São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport to Las Vegas will be on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

In addition to economy fares, LATAM’s planes will also have business class seats capable of lying flat, airline officials said.

The service to Las Vegas “reflects our commitment to evaluate every opportunity and to invest in sustainable operations that truly facilitate and expand travel options for the customer,” Jerome Cadier, CEO of LATAM Airlines Brazil, said in a statement.

LATAM Airlines offers 1,300 daily flights to 140 airports, but Las Vegas will be the carrier’s first destination in the Western United States, airport officials said. Brazil is the seventh-largest source of international visitors to Las Vegas, with more than 150,000 travelers annually, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said.

McCarran International completed a $51 million project in May that doubled the number of gates available to international travelers at the D-Gate Concourse, which link to a new 995-foot-long corridor to the airport’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection station in Terminal 3.

Airport officials are now working on additional amenities that appeal to international travelers, including another duty-free retail shop and a first-class lounge, said Rosemary Vassiliadis, director of Clark County’s Aviation Department.

“Brazil has long been among our most sought-after markets, so we are very excited for our new partnership with LATAM Airlines Brazil and look forward to McCarran International Airport being its first West Coast destination from São Paulo,” Vassiliadis said in a statement.

Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Find @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.