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March 26, 2008 |
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GOL LINHAS: VRG Unit Initiates New Domestic Flight Operations GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A., the parent company of Brazilian airlines GOL Transportes Aereos S.A. and VRG Linhas Aereas S.A., says that its unit, VRG Linhas, has a new network of domestic flights. The changes, which were initiated to broaden the company's presence in high traffic business markets, will improve connectivity and distribution to several national destinations. Planning for the new network included the recent lift of previous restrictions on connecting flights to Congonhas Airport, in Sao Paulo. From this airport, VRG Linhas will serve Belo Horizonte (Confins), Brasilia, Curitiba, Florianopolis, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro (Galeao and Santos Dumont) and Salvador. The most significant change is the creation of a distribution hub in Brasilia. Customers can now fly to Belo Horizonte (Confins), Fortaleza, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro (Galeao), Sao Paulo (Congonhas) and Salvador in direct flights from the federal capital. The number of flights to these destinations was also increased. Flights to Salvador, for example, now include three frequencies from Brasilia, two from Rio de Janeiro (Galeao) and three from Sao Paulo (Congonhas). "With the new hub in Brasilia and the return of connections to Congonhas, VRG will be able to offer more flight options to several destinations. The company is growing and gaining a wider national route network," says VRG's commercial director, Lincoln Amano. "The new network will allow the company to increase aircraft utilization, productivity, efficiency, and flight loads in an intelligent way. Most importantly, it will allow VRG to broaden its customer services." Operations to Brasilia and from Congonhas will primarily be carried out by Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 Next Generation aircraft, which have the largest space between seats in the Brazilian domestic market. Based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, GOL Intelligent Airlines aka GOL Linhas Areas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL and Bovespa: GOLL4) -- http://www.voegol.com.br -- through its subsidiary, GOL Transportes Aereos S.A., provides airline services in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The company's services include passenger, cargo, and charter services. As of March 20, 2006, Gol Linhas provided 440 daily flights to 49 destinations and operated a fleet of 45 Boeing 737 aircraft. The company was founded in 2001. * * * As reported in the Troubled Company Reporter-Latin America on July 25, 2007, Fitch Ratings affirmed the 'BB+' foreign and local currency issuer default ratings of Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. Fitch also affirmed the outstanding US$200 million perpetual bonds and US$200 million of senior notes due 2017 at 'BB+' as well as the company's 'AA-' (bra) national scale rating. Fitch said the rating outlook is stable. |
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