SAO PAULO, Brazil, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL and Bovespa: GOLL4), the parent company of Brazil's low-cost airlines GOL Transportes Aereos S.A. ("GTA", which operates the GOL brand) and VRG Linhas Aereas S.A. ("VRG", which operates the VARIG brand), today began selling tickets for VRG's newest route, Rio de Janeiro - Sao Paulo - London.
"The launch of London flights on October 28 is an important step in VRG's expanding international route network, which currently includes flights to key European cities in France, Italy and Germany," says Lincoln Amano, VRG's commercial director. "By December of this year, we will provide additional services to Europe through Madrid, Spain as well as to Latin America, through flights to Mexico City, Mexico; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Santiago, Chile."
The launch flight will depart from Rio de Janeiro's Tom Jobim Airport at 8:30 pm, making a connection at Guarulhos at 9:30 pm, before continuing to the British capital arriving at 3:00 pm. Returning to Brazil, flights take off from London's Heathrow Airport at 10:05 pm, landing in Sao Paulo at 8:15 am and arriving in Rio de Janeiro at 10 am.
Business travel and tourism between England and Brazil is a key reason for launching this new route. Trade between Brazil and the United Kingdom has increased steadily over the past year. Brazilian exports to the U.K. (which includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) grew nearly 9 percent last year, reaching a record US$2.8 billion; the U.K. now ranks thirteenth among the largest importers of Brazilian goods and services. Brazil imported approximately US$1.4 billion in goods and services from the U.K., up nearly 3 percent compared to 2005. According to Embratur (Brazil's Tourism Board), England ranks ninth among the top 10 countries providing tourists to Brazil. Approximately 170,000 English tourists visited Brazil in 2006 and nearly 175,000 Brazilians traveled to England over the same period.
Origin Connection Destination Frequency Departure* Arrival
Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo London Daily** 08:30PM 03:00PM
London Sao Paulo Rio de Janeiro Daily*** 10:05PM 10:00AM
* Local time
** Service is not available on Wednesdays
*** Service is not available on Thursdays
SOURCE GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.
For further information: Investor Relations, (5511)31696800, ri@golnaweb.com.br, or Media - Brazil & Latin America, MVL Comunicacao, D. Barbara, daniela.barbara@mvl.com.br, and A. Michelacci, alexandre.michelacci@mvl.com.br, (5511)3049-0349/0341
