Surf Air Mobility and Azul Conecta form agreement to incorporate Electric Powertrains into Azul’s Cessna Caravan Fleet

Surf Air Mobility Inc. the air mobility platform transforming regional flying through electrification, and Azul S.A. the largest airline in Brazil, have agreed to collaborate on the commercial deployment of electric Cessna Caravan within Azul’s existing fleet. By electrifying its Cessna Caravan fleet, Azul believes they can take a meaningful step toward their goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. Surf Air Mobility is targeting certification of its proprietary electrified powertrain in 2026 in the U.S. In doing so, Azul and Surf Air Mobility hope to be a catalyst for change within South America and global leaders in regional air mobility (“RAM”).

Identify the necessary prerequisites for development of Surf Air Mobility’s proprietary technology in Brazil

Conduct a technical exchange on the Brazilian regulatory and infrastructural requirements to operate an aircraft with electric powertrain

Seek to understand how electric powertrain can be applied to Azul Conecta’s Cessna Caravan aircraft and operations

Seek to implement electric powertrains in Azul’s existing Cessna Caravan aircraft

The companies believe their shared vision for improving aviation’s environmental impact positions them to accelerate development and time to market of electric aircraft. By directly collaborating on both the technical and regulatory specifications of electric Cessna Caravan, the companies intend to create a clearer pathway for certification of electrified aircraft within Brazil.

“It’s important for Surf Air Mobility to develop our technology with operators that will be the direct beneficiaries of the coming transition to electrified aircraft. We’re very excited to work with Azul to help us design our technology and define how our electric powertrains can best be deployed within an existing regional network in order for passengers to gain as much benefit from the technology as possible,” said Stan Little, CEO of Surf Air Mobility. “With Azul’s support, we believe we can further accelerate the Supplemental Type Certification process and bring the technology to market faster and with more certainty.”

Textron Aviation delivers 3,000th Cessna Caravan family aircraft....

Textron Aviation has delivered a Cessna Grand Caravan EX to Brazilian aviation company Azul Conecta, a subsidiary of Azul Airlines based at the airport of Jundiai in São Paulo. This aircraft represents the 3,000th Cessna Caravan family turboprop delivered worldwide, reinforcing the Caravan as the most popular utility turboprop in the world. Azul Conecta transports travellers from smaller cities and remote locations throughout Brazil.

Textron Aviation employees and representatives from Azul Conecta celebrated this significant milestone with a special delivery ceremony at Textron Aviation’s location in Independence, Kansas.

“The Cessna Caravan’s versatility and reliability have made it the most popular aircraft in the utility turboprop category, with now 3,000 delivered globally,” said Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice president of Sales and Flight Operations at Textron Aviation. “I’m thankful to customers like Azul Conecta who continuously rely on the Caravan family of aircraft to fulfil their missions, deliver solutions and improve lives around the world.”

Conceived as a rugged utility aircraft with low operating costs, the Caravan was designed for use in remote areas with extreme weather changes, mountainous terrain and rough landing conditions. The aircraft’s versatility became renowned in all corners of the world, and the Caravan continues to see wide use in global markets by a variety of customers, including government agencies, law enforcement and militaries, air ambulance operators, freight hauliers, corporations and humanitarian organizations.

Azul Linhas Aéreas adds three additional A330neo to fleet

Azul has signed a firm order for three A330-900 which will allow it to further expand its international network and complement its existing A330 operations, bringing the airline’s total fleet of A330neo aircraft to eight.

“We are delighted to have secured three more next-gen Airbus widebody aircraft for the upcoming years. This reaffirms our position as the airline with the most modern fleet in the region, with 70 percent of our capacity coming from fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft,” said John Rodgerson, Chief Executive Officer of Azul.

“We applaud Azul’s decision that shows their forward looking strategy and proves the economics and performance of the A330neo are most compelling. The A330neo is the perfect tool to support Azul in expanding its fleet with the right-sized, modern widebody, leveraging the latest technology and efficiency and contributing to reducing CO2,” said Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International.

Emirates signs codeshare agreement with Azul

Codeshare flights to facilitate seamless connectivity to and from eight points in Brazil

Emirates has signed a codeshare agreement with Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras S.A (Azul) which will allow customers to seamlessly connect to and from eight cities in Brazil to Emirates’ global network via Sao Paulo.

The codeshare agreement has been approved by the Brazilian Federal Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil).

Under the codeshare, customers will be able to connect to and from Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SDU), Belem (BEL) Belo Horizonte (CNF), Cuiaba (CGB), Curtiba (CWB), Juazeiro Do Norte (JDO), Porto Alegre (POA) and Recife (REC) airports on flights operated by Azul to Emirates flights from Sao Paulo (GRU) to Dubai and beyond with a single ticket. Tickets be purchased online on Emirates’ website or through Emirates’ local sales offices and travel agents from 18 August 2021 for travel starting from 25 August 2021.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “Emirates is delighted to be entering into a codeshare partnership with Azul to offer our customers an enhanced, smooth and convenient connectivity between eight cities in Brazil to/ from Dubai and our global network through Sao Paulo. Brazil is an important market for Emirates and our cooperation with Azul underscores Emirates’ commitment to strengthen our reach in the region and open up more options for our customers. With one ticket, our customers can access a seamless experience through check-in, bag check and boarding on every leg of their journey. We look forward to working with Azul and strengthening our partnership in the days to come.”

Latin America's airline apocalypse signals a future with weak competition

Bankrupt LATAM Airlines and Avianca Holdings are dramatically retrenching their once-grand ambitions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing competition in Latin America as they mull once-unthinkable cooperation with rivals, reports Marcelo Rochabrun in Sao Paulo.

Since May, LATAM has exited Argentina, partnered with rival Azul SA in Brazil and cut back domestic operations in Chile, while Avianca has departed Peru.

LATAM is now open to a deeper alliance with Azul, even as the two airlines usually control a combined 60% of Brazil’s domestic market.

The scaling back could reshape air travel in Latin America, weakening competition regionally and driving up ticket prices while also helping some carriers survive. The moves show how the industry is already shrinking through attrition, as airlines are too cash-strapped to consider buying the competition.

Azul stops new aircraft deliveries, cust capacity and asks staff to take unpaid leave as the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic bites

 One of Brazil's leading airlines, Azul has confirmed that because of the economic impact of the coronavirus COVID-19 it will take drastic steps to cut costs, including cutting flights, grounding aircraft, asking staff to take unpaid leave and halting the delivery of new aircraft.

“While our top priority remains the health and safety of our crewmembers and customers, we continue to focus on adjusting capacity to demand and preserving our cash position during this challenging time. We ended 2019 as one of the most profitable airlines in the world. Our strong liquidity position, combined with the expertise and dedication of our team give me confidence that we will come out of this crisis a lot stronger as an airline”, said John Rodgerson, CEO of Azul.

The airline said it would be reducing capacity by 20%-25% in March and by 35% to 50% in April and beyond until the situation normalizes. As of March 16th, all international flights, except flights leaving from Campinas, will be suspended.

In addition to flight cancellations, Azul is taking several measures to reduce its fixed costs - including:

Executive management team salary cut of 25% until situation normalizes.Hiring freeze.Payment deferral of 2019 profit sharing.Voluntary unpaid leave program with over 600 requests approved so far.Suspension of travel and discretionary spending.Grounding aircraft.Suspending all new aircraft deliveries.

The airline says it has adequate reserves to survive the crisis,   at least in the short term,  as it ended 2019 with R$2.8 billion in liquid assets, including cash and cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2019, the company had no restricted cash and also held deposits and maintenance reserves totalling R$1.7 billion, and long-term investments totalling R$1.4 billion.

Recommended for you...

Azul to fly to New York in June

Azul, has confirmed the launch of daily service between São PauloViracopos and New York JFK starting June 15th. 

New York will be Azul’s third destination in the United States. Azul already serves Fort Lauderdale and Orlando from Sao Paulo-Viracopos, Belo Horizonte and Recife. With this new nonstop service, Azul’s portfolio of service to the US will increase to 30 weekly flights. Sao Paulo-Viracopos, Azul’s primary hub in Brazil with this latest addition will now feature 60 nonstop destinations, six of those

international: Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and JFK in the US, Lisbon and Porto in Portugal and finally Buenos Aires in Argentina.

“This is another important day for Azul, our crewmembers and our customers. We already offer the broadest network in Brazil with service to more than 100 domestic destinations and now we are adding a very important corporate destination to our portfolio. We could not be more excited about what this new service could mean for our network and how this expands our relevance with our corporate customers”, says John Rodgerson, Azul’s CEO.

Alitalia signs codeshare deal with Brazil's Azul just days after another bailout from Italian government

The Italian flag carrier Alitalia has signed a codeshare agreement with Azul Brazilian Airlines, the largest airline in Brazil by the number of cities served, the airlines confirmed on Wednesday 4th December. 

As part of this agreement, customers can conveniently connect to Azul’s unrivalled domestic network when flying Alitalia into and out of São Paulo (Guarulhos) and Rio de Janeiro (Galeão). 

Under the agreement, the codeshared network will include 19 domestic Brazilian destinations served by Azul in connection with Alitalia services to/from São Paulo (Guarulhos) and Rio de Janeiro (Galeão):  Belém, Porto Seguro, Brasilia, Cuiabá, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Goiânia, Foz do Iguaçu, Ilhéus, Navegantes, Porto Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, Recife, Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont, Salvador, Vitória and Campinas-Viracopos.

First A321neo aircraft for Brazilian airline Azul

CDB Aviation has delivered the first of two Airbus A321neo aircraft to Azul S.A., the expanding Brazilian airline.  The jet is the first A321NX version of the Neo family, fitted with Airbus’ Cabin Flex option, to be operated by a Brazilian airline.

The A321neo, configured in a 214 single-class seat layout and will provide passengers with enhanced features. “We are thrilled to have assisted the Azul team with the introduction of Brazil’s first A321NX variant of the Neo family,” noted CDB Aviation Head of Commercial, Americas Luis Da Silva. “This is the beginning of a successful strategic partnership between Azul and CDB Aviation.”

The versatility of the A321neoNX will provide the right capacity for Azul’s expanding fleet and will avail the carrier of the new technology’s benefits, such as reduced fuel consumption and lowered unit costs, enabling more efficient operations in the future.

Is Azul looking to expand?

Is the Brazilian airline Azul looking to expand?  Yes, is the answer according to Chief Executive John Rodgerson, who said on Friday the airline is hoping to launch flights to 35 new destinations in Brazil over the next four or so years. The carrier already flies to 105 cities and is the largest airline in the country by the number of destinations it serves.

Mr Rodgerson made was speaking at Brazil Investment Forum 2019, although no details were released on the actual routes that will be introduced by the carrier. 

Recommended for you...

Azul Airlines of Brazil gets first Embraer E195-E2 jet

Embraer, has handed over the first production E195-E2 to leasing giant AerCap and launch operator Azul Airlines of Brazil at a ceremony in São José dos Campos earlier this week.

Mr. Aengus Kelly, CEO and Executive Director of AerCap Holdings NV, the world largest aircraft leasing company, and Mr John Rodgerson, CEO of Azul Linhas Aéreas, received the keys to the big E2 of which Azul has placed a total firm order for 51 E195-E2s.

AerCap is the launch lessor customer of Embraer's E-Jets E2, with a total of 50 Embraer E190-E2s and E195-E2s owned and on order. The lessor has placed 47 of the 50 aircraft.   

Aengus Kelly, CEO of AerCap said, "Everyone at AerCap is thrilled to deliver the world's first Embraer E195-E2 aircraft to Azul.  We have no doubt that this incredible aircraft will drive two of Brazil's global leaders to new heights. We wish both Embraer and Azul every success with the E-Jets E2 program and we look forward to working with both of them for many, many years to come."

John Rodgerson, CEO of Azul said, "Here at Azul we are proud to be the first airline in the world to roll out the E195-E2. It is very exciting to us, as a Brazilian company, to be the first airline to fly this incredible aircraft. The E2 fleet is part of our fleet transformation plan. The E2 guarantees that Azul will have the newest, most fuel-efficient fleet in the industry, continually driving down unit costs."

"This E2 offers unsurpassed versatility. It's got exceptionally low unit operating costs, a gorgeous cabin, and performance that makes it work anywhere; LCCs, mainline, regionals, charters - it's exactly the kind of asset that makes it attractive for lessors. We couldn't be more pleased to have AerCap receive the first aeroplane," said John Slattery, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation.

Recommended for you...

Azul is the first Brazilian airline to join TSA Pre-Check

Azul Airlines is the first Brazilian carrier to be certified by the Transportation Security Administration as a TSA Pre-Check expedited screening program member.

TSA Pre-Check is an expedited screening program that enables low-risk travellers to enjoy a smart and efficient screening experience at more than 200 U.S. airports. For TSA Pre-Check travellers, there is no need to remove shoes, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, belts or light jackets. According to the TSA, 94 percent of passengers in TSA Pre-Check lanes waited less than five minutes.

"Our customers have been asking for TSA Pre-Check and now we are proud to be the first Brazilian airline to deliver this experience to our customers.  Whether you are departing on our nonstop flights from Orlando, Fort Lauderdale or beginning your trip at any of our partner cities, flying Azul from the United States to Brazil has never been more convenient", says Abhi Shah, Chief Revenue Officer at Azul.

Azul's July

Azul the largest airline in Brazil by the number of cities served and flight departures, has released its preliminary traffic results for July 2019.

Consolidated passenger traffic (RPKs) increased 24.5% compared to July 2018 on a capacity increase (ASKs) of 22.7%, resulting in a load factor of 86.6%, an increase of 1.2 percentage points compared to the same period in 2018. Domestic load factor was 85.3% and international load factor was 90.4%.

"July was another strong month for Azul. We are growing profitably and consistently with our business strategy of maintaining the strongest network in Brazil.  We ended the month with 30 next-generation aircraft and could not be more excited with the growth and margin expansion opportunities that lie ahead of us", says John Rodgerson, Azul's CEO."

Azul Reports May 2019 Traffic

Azul the largest airline in Brazil by the number of cities served and flight departures, announced its preliminary traffic results for May 2019 last week.

Consolidated passenger traffic (RPKs) increased 26.7% compared to May 2018 on a capacity increase (ASKs) of 20.4%, resulting in a load factor of 84.3%, an increase of 4.2 percentage points compared to the same period in 2018.

Domestic passenger traffic increased 32.8% on a 23.0% increase in capacity resulting in a load factor of 83.3%, 6.2 percentage points higher than May 2018. International load factor was 87.8%.

"May was another outstanding month for Azul - our load factor went up 4.2 percentage points while capacity grew 20.4%.  We ended the month with 27 A320neos in our fleet and are excited with the fleet transformation opportunities that lie ahead of us, says John Rodgerson, Azul's CEO."

Azul receives the first Airbus A330neo in the Americas

The first A330neo of the Americas has been delivered to Azul Linhas Aéreas on lease from Avolon, becoming the first airline from the Americas to fly the A330-900. The aircraft is the first of 15 A330neo ordered by Avolon.

The A330neo, Airbus’ new generation A330 aircraft, will be used by the airline to expand its international route network between Brazil and Europe and the United States. Fitted with a three-class cabin accommodating 34 business class,  96 economy Xtra  and 168 economy class seats, the A330neo offers passengers greater comfort along with the newest and the most advanced in-flight experience while the airline will benefit from the aircraft’s unrivalled operating economics.

“We are very proud to be the first A330neo operator in the Americas. This new aircraft will play a key role in the expansion of our international markets supporting our strategy of having a modern and fuel-efficient fleet,” celebrated John Rodgerson, Azul’s CEO.

“With its many new features and an Airspace cabin, the A330neo can only add to Azul’s many travel awards,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. “Innovation-packed, superior passenger comfort and 25% fuel efficiency all rolled in to one – that’s the A330neo.”

Azul firms up order for Embraer E195-E2 aircraft

The Brazilian planemaker Embraer has rushed through a number of order confirmations recently, perhaps trying to get them through before the Boeing takeover takes place.  The latest airline to confirm an already announced order is Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras.

Azul signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) at the Farnborough Airshow, in July 2018 for 21 E2 versions of Embraer's E195 aircraft. This contract has a value of USD 1.4 billion, based on current list prices, and will be included in Embraer's 2018 fourth-quarter backlog. The true value of the deal is much likely to be half of the list prices once discounts have been applied.

This contract is in addition to the 30 E195-E2 jets ordered by the airline in 2015, raising Azul's total order to 51 Embraer E2 aircraft. Azul is the launch operator of the E195-E2 and will receive the first aircraft in 2019.

Embraer is the world's leading manufacturer of commercial jets with up to 150 seats. The Company has 100 customers from all over the world operating the ERJ and E-Jet families of aircraft. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged almost 1,800 orders and 1,500 deliveries, redefining the traditional concept of regional aircraft.    -- .

(Image Azul / Embraer)

A new international flight for Azul.................Porto launches in June 2019

The largest Brazillian airline Azul has released details of a new non-stop service to Porto, Portugal starting on June 3rd, 2019. The city will receive three weekly flights from Campinas, Azul's main hub, which will have a total of 17 weekly frequencies to Portugal. Sale of tickets to Porto starts today and is available on all Azul distribution channels.

The Portuguese city is the second destination in Europe to receive flights from Azul after Lisbon. The non-stop flight will be operated on an Airbus A330, with 272 seats. With the addition of this new flight, Campinas, the largest hub in Latin America, will offer non-stop service to 57 destinations, including Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Lisbon. In partnership with Aigle Azur, Azul also offers flights to Paris, France.

Azul will fly three times a week to the Portuguese city starting June 2019 from its main hub in Campinas

Azul and Copa Airlines announce new codeshare deal

with improved frequent flyer programme agreements

Azul Brazilian Airlines and Copa Airlines announced this week that they have agreed to a far-reaching cooperation agreement that connects the two largest route networks in Latin and South America. As part of this agreement, customers can conveniently connect to Azul’s unrivalled domestic network when flying Copa into and out of Brazil. This agreement means that Copa customers can now potentially access all of Azul’s 101 domestic destinations in Brazil, including 52 destinations not served by any other airline. In the near future, Azul will also place its code on Copa flights into and out of its Panama city hub, allowing Azul’s domestic customers to take advantage of the broadest network in Latin America. The benefits and convenience of a codeshare ticket include those of thru check-in and thru-baggage.

Azul Reports September Traffic

Azul, one of the biggest names in Brazillian aviation and the largest airline in Brazil by the number of cities served and flight departures, released its preliminary traffic results for September 2018, earlier this week.

According to the numbers, consolidated passenger traffic (RPKs) was up some  16.0% compared to September 2017 on a capacity increase (ASKs) of 16.1%. As a result, the load factor remained flat at 83.2%. Domestic load factor was 82.6% and international was 85.0%.

“In the third quarter, consolidated RPKs increased 20.2% on a capacity increase of 19.3% year over year. We are very pleased with the current demand environment in Brazil, which continues to improve as we approach the high season. We have just received our 18th A320neo, and couldn’t be more excited with the superior economics and revenue enhancing benefits of these aircraft,” says John Rodgerson, Azul’s CEO. 

Azul currently operates some 766 flights each day to over 110 destinations on a fleet of 120 aircraft and employs more than 10,000 crewmembers. As of 30th September this year, the airline had a network of 218 non-stop routes and was recently awarded best airline in Latin America by TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice and best regional carrier in South America for the eighth consecutive time by Skytrax. 

Three new Bombardier Q400s for Philippine Airlines from Chrous

Chorus Aviation from Canada has confirmed this week that is placing three Bombardier Q400 turboprops with Philippine Airlines on a long-term lease basis.  

The new Q400s are scheduled for delivery to Philippine Airlines during the latter part of this year and are the first leasing transactions in the fast-growing Southeast Asia region for the Halifax based Chorus Aviation.  The company's president, Steven Ridolfi said: "Philippine Airlines is a celebrated airline with a long and renowned history as the flag carrier of the Philippines, and we are very proud to count them amongst our customers."

PAL President & Chief Operating Officer Jaime J. Bautista said, "We are very pleased to form this working partnership with Chorus Aviation Capital and we look forward to building business ties with them. By joining their growing portfolio of aircraft lessees, Philippine Airlines will be able to further grow its domestic market. New aircraft help us to build new air links and increase flight frequencies on routes that are vital to national commerce."