Gol and Azul announce the end of negotiations for a merger and codeshare partnership.
Airlines have stated they will uphold the validity of tickets already issued, but have ruled out a merger and continued commercial cooperation.
247 - Airlines Gol and Azul announced, on Thursday night (25), the definitive end of negotiations for a possible merger of their businesses. The information was published in relevant fact disclosed to the market and initially reported by the newspaper Valor Econômico.
According to the statements, Abra Group Limited, the indirect controlling shareholder of Gol, and Azul have decided to end talks regarding the business combination that had been under discussion for the past few months. Furthermore, the agreement to... codeshare, signed in May 2024, which allowed the integration of the two companies' air networks.
Despite the end of the partnership, the companies assured that all tickets issued under the commercial cooperation will be valid. fully honored by passengers who have already purchased tickets.
What led to the end of the negotiations?
In January 2024, Azul and Abra had signed a memorandum of understanding as a first step towards a possible merger, which could reshape the Brazilian airline sector. However, according to the companies, changes in the internal operational scenario and the competitive environment of aviation ultimately made the continuation of negotiations unfeasible.
Industry sources indicate that increased operating costs, the debt burden of airlines in Brazil, and the need for regulatory adjustments were some of the factors that hindered the completion of the deal.
Impact on the Brazilian airline market
The end of negotiations interrupts, at least in the short term, expectations of creating a giant in the sector in the country. The merger between Azul and Gol could have resulted in an integrated network of domestic and international flights, increasing competitiveness against other companies such as Latam.
Now, each company will pursue its own strategy. Gol remains under the control of Abra, a group that is also the majority shareholder of Avianca, while Azul will continue to seek alternatives to strengthen its market position.
Customers with guaranteed tickets
The main concern of consumers was about the validity of tickets purchased during the codeshare partnership period. Both Gol and Azul reinforced that... There will be no losses for customers.And the purchased flights will continue to operate normally, as planned.
