Summary
- Azul Linhas Aéreas is expanding its operations at Galeão International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, increasing its presence by tenfold from December 2023.
- The expansion will allow Azul to connect Rio de Janeiro with other Brazilian cities through new routes, strengthening its presence in the city.
The Brazilian carrier Azul Linhas Aéreas has announced the gradual expansion of its operations at Galeão International Airport (GIG) in Rio de Janeiro. It will increase its presence at the airport by tenfold starting from December 23, 2023.
Increasing operations in Rio de Janeiro
On Friday, Azul Linhas Aéreas announced the expansion of its operations at Galeao International Airport, also known as Tom Jobim International Airport. According to data from ch-aviation, Azul currently operates only one route from GIG, serving 26 weekly flights to São Paulo Viracopos (VCP).
Photo: Azul.
The Brazilian airline will expand from three daily departures on average at the moment to 30 direct flights. By doing so, it will be able to connect the Rio de Janeiro airport with other Brazilian cities through new routes to destinations such as Curitiba(CWB), Porto Alegre (POA), Belo Horizonte Confins International (CNF), Recife (REC), Campina Grande (CPV), Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU), and Viracopos International.
Azul Linhas Aéreas is tripling its connectivity from Galeao International with the aim of serving its customers and strengthening its presence in the city, it said in a statement.
Strengthening the presence in Rio
Azul has long been an active player in the Rio de Janeiro market. The company operated its first flight from the famous Brazilian city in March 2009, just three months after its first commercial flight overall. Therefore, it knows the importance of the Rio de Janeiro market. Fábio Campos, Director of Institutional Relations at Azul, said in a statement,
“We are focused on expanding our operations at Galeão Airport, a facility of utmost importance to Rio de Janeiro. The incredible city is an integral part of our history, and we have invested significantly since 2009 to offer quality service to the people of Rio. Rio is, and will continue to be, very relevant to our air network, supporting the economic and tourist development of Rio de Janeiro, connecting the city to more than 150 destinations served by Azul.”
Azul also operates from Rio’s second airport, Santos Dumont Airport (SDU). The company pledged to continue its shuttle flights to Congonhas from SDU, with 13 daily services in each direction, enhancing connectivity for customers traveling between the two cities.
Photo: Matheus Obst/Shutterstock.
Did you know the air connectivity between Sao Paulo’s CGH and Rio de Janeiro’s SDU has the largest amount of weekly flights globally between two airports that are a maximum of 275 miles apart? The two airports have 371 weekly flights connecting them.
Azul’s diverse route map
The Brazilian airline is known for having the most extensive route map in Brazil, reaching far more destinations than its counterparts, LATAM Brasil and GOL Linhas Aéreas. With an active fleet of over 160 aircraft and 15,000 employees, Azul offers 300 direct routes in regional, domestic, and international flights. The airline has a wide range of aircraft at its disposal, from nine-seat Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft to widebodies such as the Airbus A350-900s and the A330-900s.
Photo: Azul
The airline doesn’t operate exclusively from a single hub. Instead, it has bases in many Brazilian airports, although Viracopos is the main airport for the company. It operates 1,014 weekly flights departing from VCP, followed by Belo Horizonte CNF with 624 departures and Recife with 503.
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Source: Cirium