Brazilian airline TAM has started operating direct flights between Rio de Janeiro and New York this Saturday, November 1st. Four weekly non-stop round trip frequencies between the two cities will be offered.
TAM passengers will be able to fly business or economy class. Flights will be operated using the Boeing 767-300, which holds 205 passengers.
"Rio de Janeiro is a strategic market for TAM and represents an important gateway for passengers coming from the United States. Therefore, we are increasingly investing in new services, such as the direct Rio – New York and Rio – Miami flights, the latter having begun September 19," said Paulo Castello Branco, commercial and planning vice president.
The flight will depart Rio de Janeiro's Tom Jobim International Airport (Galeão) at 11:15 p.m. (local time) Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and fly directly into JFK in New York, arriving at 6:00 a.m. (local time) the following day.
Return flights will be available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The flight will depart JFK at 4:15 p.m. (local time) and fly directly to Rio de Janeiro (Galeao), arriving at 5:30 a.m. (local time). On Sundays, the flight will leave New York at 8:00 a.m. and arrive in Rio de Janeiro at 9:15 p.m. (local time).
Fares for the launch of the new service will start at US$ 749 for economy (for tickets issued through 10/31/2008) and US$ 4,120 for business class (for tickets issued through 12/04/08), round trip, plus taxes.
TAM already operates two daily flights to New York from São Paulo (Guarulhos). All legs of the trip are on A330 aircraft in both directions. With the start of the new service from Rio, TAM will now offer 18 weekly flights between Brazil and New York.
TAM operations include four daily flights (28 per week) to Miami, Florida. One of the flights starts in Confins, in Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais state), continues to Rio de Janeiro and then on to Miami.
TAM also offers two daily flights from São Paulo (Guarulhos) – one of them stopping in Salvador (Bahia) on Sundays on the outbound and return legs – and another from Manaus. All flights receive and offer connections.
