SÃO PAULO, Oct. 26,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GOL Linhas Aéreas
Inteligentes S.A. (B3: GOLL4 and NYSE: GOL) ("GOL" or
"Company").
- Commercial partnership initiated in 2014 to
be extended for 10 years, with reciprocal exclusivity on traffic
flows between Europe and
Brazil.
- Increased commercial cooperation providing
improved connectivity, with 125+ destinations covered in
Europe and Brazil, covering 99% of demand between the two
areas.
- Partnership also covers increased
maintenance cooperation, with Air France Industries KLM E&M
expanding its support to GOL's CFM56 and LEAP engines.
Air France-KLM and GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes today
announced that they have signed an agreement to extend and enhance
their commercial partnership for the next 10 years. Under the terms
of this agreement, both parties will grant each other exclusivity
on routes between Europe and
Brazil and enhance their
commercial cooperation. This will result in better connectivity,
improved customer experience and more benefits for their respective
customers.
Initially introduced in 2014 for a period of 5 years, the
commercial partnership between Air France-KLM and GOL had already
been renewed in 2019. It covers over 99% of the demand between
Brazil and Europe and today one out of every five
passengers traveling to Brazil
with Air France and KLM connects to a GOL flight. In total, over
two million passengers have benefited from the partnership since
its introduction.
As part of this renewed partnership, Air France, KLM and GOL
will continue investing to further improve their customers'
experience and create an even more seamless product. Customers will
benefit from an optimized network between Europe and Brazil, spanning over 80 European
destinations, 45 destinations in Brazil, and in the future, new destinations
across Latin America. The
agreement additionally includes expanded code-sharing, enhanced
joint sales activities, and more benefits for customers via Air
France-KLM's Flying Blue and GOL's SMILES frequent flyer
programs.
The enhanced collaboration includes an ambitious expansion of
the existing maintenance support by Air France Industries KLM
Engineering & Maintenance (AFIKLME&M) to GOL's CFM56 and
LEAP engines.
Benjamin Smith, CEO Air France
KLM, stated: "South America, and
particularly Brazil, is one of the
most strategic markets for Air France-KLM. The historical
partnership between Air France-KLM and GOL has been instrumental in
allowing us to provide our customers with a comprehensive and broad
value proposition in the region. Building on what we've already
achieved, we are very pleased to extend and deepen this exclusive
partnership for 10 more years. This new agreement will allow us to
implement the necessary structural enhancements to ensure Air
France-KLM and GOL's leadership position between Brazil and Europe."
Celso Ferrer, GOL CEO: "Our partnership with Air France-KLM
has provided countless enhancements and benefits for all of our
customers and is based on reciprocal trust and admiration of both
companies. We are proud to celebrate another decade of partnership,
and I believe it crowns a long and successful history by including
key elements such as the credit line for engine overhauls. I
reinforce that GOL is deeply committed to support and help to
strengthen the Brazil-Europe corridor, and we have no doubt Air
France-KLM is the best partner to achieve that."
Optimized connections beyond Air France-KLM and GOL's respective
hubs in Europe and Brazil
Air France and KLM passengers
can connect on GOL flights beyond São Paulo (GRU), Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and Fortaleza (FOR). GOL passengers also have
access to Air France and KLM's worldwide networks beyond their
Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport
and Amsterdam Schiphol airport hubs.
During the winter 23 season, Air France operates 24 weekly
flights to Brazil (14 x São Paulo,
7 x Rio de Janeiro and 3 x
Fortaleza) while KLM operates 14
weekly flights to Brazil (7 x São
Paulo, 7 x Rio de Janeiro).
About Air France-KLM
A global player with a strong European base, the Air France-KLM
Group's main areas of business are passenger transport, cargo
transport and aeronautical maintenance. Air France-KLM is a leading
airline Group in terms of international traffic on departure from
Europe. It offers its customers
access to a worldwide network, covering over 300 destinations
thanks to Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Transavia,
mainly from its hubs at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and
Amsterdam-Schiphol.
Its Flying Blue frequent flyer programme is one of the leaders
in Europe with over 20 million
members. Together with its partners Delta Air Lines and Virgin
Atlantic, Air France-KLM operates the largest transatlantic joint
venture, with more than 340 daily flights in 2019.
Air France-KLM is also a member of the SkyTeam, the alliance
dedicated to providing passengers with a more seamless travel
experience at every step of their journey 19 member airlines
working together across an extensive global network.
Recognized for 19 years as an industry leader in sustainable
development, the Air France-KLM Group is determined to accelerate
the transition to more sustainable aviation.
Air France-KLM press office: + 33 (0)1 41 56 56 00 –
www.airfranceklm.com - @AirFranceKLM
GOL Investor Relations
ir@voegol.com.br
www.voegol.com.br/ir
+55 (11) 2128-470
About GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. ("GOL")
GOL is the largest airline in Brazil. leader in the corporate and leisure
segments. Since it was founded in 2001. the Company has the lowest
unit cost in Latin America.
democratizing air transportation. The Company has alliances with
American Airlines and Air France-KLM and makes available several
codeshares and interline agreements available to Customers.
bringing more convenience and simple connections to any place
served by these partnerships. With the purpose of "Being the First
for All". GOL offers the best travel experience to its passengers.
including: the largest number of seats and more space between
seats; the greatest platform with internet. movies and live TV; and
the best frequent-flyer program. Smiles. In cargo
transportation. Gollog delivers orders to different regions
in Brazil and abroad. The Company
has a team of 13,800 highly qualified aviation professionals
focused on Safety. GOL's #1 value. and operates a standardized
fleet of 143 Boeing 737 aircraft. The Company's shares are traded
on the NYSE (GOL) and the B3 (GOLL4). For further information. go
to www.voegol.com.br/ir.
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SOURCE GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A.