GOL Linhas Aéreas took a strategic leap into the long-haul market this week with the launch of scheduled flights between Lisbon (LIS) and Rio de Janeiro–Galeão (GIG). Flight G37021 departed the Portuguese capital late on 16 September and touched down in Rio at dawn on the 17th, officially opening the carrier’s first regular European link. The route is operated four times per week with a Wamos Air–wet-leased Airbus A330-200 configured in two classes; daily service is planned from December subject to demand and the delivery of GOL’s own long-range narrow-bodies. The move positions GOL to compete directly with TAP Air Portugal and LATAM on the high-yield Brazil-Europe corridor while reinforcing Abra Group’s strategy of leveraging partner capacity (Wamos and Avianca) to accelerate growth. Corporate travel managers welcome the additional capacity, which is expected to exert downward pressure on premium-cabin fares during the southern-hemisphere summer. GOL is offering introductory round-trip business-class tickets at BRL 11,900, roughly 15 percent below the market average. For Rio’s Galeão airport the service is another boost to its international recovery plan, following recent announcements of GOL flights to New York JFK and Orlando as well as new frequencies by Copa and Air Canada. The state government has committed to a five-year cut in the ICMS fuel tax to support the hub’s revitalisation. At the policy level, the flight underscores the Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority’s approval earlier this year for domestic airlines to wet-lease wide-body aircraft for up to 36 months, a flexibility that mobility and relocation firms should track because it expands the range of non-stop options for duty-of-care routing. Passengers should note that the service departs Lisbon at 23:30 and arrives in Rio at 05:30, offering same-day connections to São Paulo and Belo Horizonte. Cargo capacity (14 tonnes per flight) is being marketed to exporters of Portuguese pharmaceuticals and Brazilian perishables, further diversifying trade links between the two Lusophone economies.
Source: ch-aviation
