Brazilian Airline Gol has just announced an agreement with US-based Continental Airlines whereby passengers flying with Continental will be able to purchase tickets on all routes served by Gol for connections in Brazil and South America.
While the partnership covers all routes served by both airlines, only Continental will be able to sell tickets on Gol flights.Â
"This agreement will open a new market for us, especially in the United States. Our partner, Continental, is one of the world's top five airlines and we're proud that this agreement will allow Continental's passengers to also enjoy the benefits of low-cost, low-fare and high quality travel provided by Gol," says Tarcísio Gargioni, Gol's Vice-President of Marketing and Services.
Gol and Varig, which is also owned by Gol, offer daily flights to more destinations in Brazil than any other domestic airline. Growth plans include increasing frequencies in existing markets and adding service to additional markets in both Brazil and other high-traffic travel destinations. Shares are listed on the NYSE (Gol) and the Bovespa (GolL4) stock exchanges.
May Statistics
Earlier this month, Gol released passenger statistics for the month of May 2007. In the domestic market, the Group's load factor for the month was 70% and in the international market, the Group's load factor was 45%. The Group's total load factor for the month of May was 64%.
Gol's domestic passenger traffic (RPK) for May 2007 increased 37% and capacity (ASK) increased 35% year-over-year. Domestic load factor for the month was 70%.
International RPK for May increased 144% and ASK increased 220%. Gol's international load factor for the month was 47%. Total RPK increased 44% and ASK increased 47% year-over-year. Gol's total load factor for the month was 67%. Average fares were reduced approximately 21% versus May 2006.
Varig's domestic RPK for May 2007 was 152 million and ASK was 237 million. Domestic load factor for the month of May 2007 was 64%, an increase of eight percentage points over April 2007. International RPK for May 2007 was 127 million and ASK was 298 million. Varig's international load factor for the month was 42%. Varig's total load factor in May 2007 was 52%.
