The partnership between Delta Air Lines and LATAM, suddenly announced in September, promised new moves in the commercial aviation market in the Americas and they are already taking place. Last week, rumors surfaced that American Airlines was negotiating a partnership with Gol Linhas Aereas capable of integrating the two companies’ flight network in the region.
The approach of the two airlines was expected after being set aside by the partnership between Delta and LATAM. Until then, AA had a long relationship with LAN and TAM, which originated LATAM and were members of the Oneworld alliance. The goal was even to go further with the formation of a joint venture that was eventually barred by the Chilean Supreme Court.
Gol had Delta as one of its shareholders and shared several flights with the American company, as well as a hub in Fortaleza. Following the announcement by Delta and LATAM, the two companies soon sought to begin discussions to get closer, say sources in the Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico, which revealed the deal.
Within the new alliance
On Monday, a new partnership began to be drawn. Azul Linhas Aereas, the third largest Brazilian airline has confirmed that it is discussing the possibility of participating in the partnership between United Airlines, Avianca Holdings and Copa Airlines, announced in November last year.
As is well known, United owns 8.2% of Azul in addition to major stakes in the other two Latin American airlines. Therefore, the entry of Azul was a matter of time in order to expand the possibilities of flight offers and connections between Brazil and the US.
The rearrangement of partnerships between US and Brazilian companies, however, should take time, awaiting approval by regulators from each country, not to mention operational changes between them. But it is nonetheless an interesting prospect for future passengers.
