Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A.

Founded	2000; 25 years ago (2000)
Commenced operations	15 January 2001; 24 years ago (2001-01-15)
AOC #	12,669 - October 2, 2023
Hubs	Brasília Salvador da Bahia São Paulo–Congonhas São Paulo–Guarulhos
Focus cities	Rio de Janeiro–Galeão Rio de Janeiro–Santos Dumont
Frequent-flyer program	Smiles
Fleet size	123
Destinations	73
Parent company	Abra Group
Headquarters	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Key people	Celso Ferrer (President & CEO)
Revenue	R$ 7.4 billion (2021)
Net income	US$ -200.8 million (2018)
Employees	13,969 (2021)

The airline's previous logo used from 2001-2015

Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. is a major Brazilian airline. It is often called "Gol Intelligent Airlines S.A." or VRG Linhas Aéreas S/A. The airline is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Gol is one of the largest airlines in Brazil. In 2019, it carried the most passengers on flights within Brazil. It was also the third largest for international flights.

Gol mainly competes with LATAM Brasil and Azul in Brazil and other South American countries. Gol also owns the name Varig. This refers to a newer airline started in 2006, not the older Varig airline from 1927.

Gol flies to many places both inside and outside Brazil. Its main travel hubs are São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport, Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport, and Tancredo Neves International Airport near Belo Horizonte. The company's name, "Gol," comes from the English word "goal" in Association football. Its slogan means "New Gol, New times in the air."

History of Gol Airlines

A Boeing 737-700 airplane used by GOL, showing the company's brand

Gol ticket counter at Brasilia International Airport

Gol started in 2000 as Gol Transportes Aéreos S.A.. Its first flight was on January 15, 2001, from Brasília to São Paulo. The airline is part of Grupo Áurea, a large Brazilian company. This group also owns Brazil's biggest long-distance bus company. The Constantino family owns Grupo Áurea.

In 2007, Gol was owned by several companies, including AeroPar Participações and Air France-KLM. The Constantino family became very wealthy because Gol's stock price grew.

Gol decided to work with other airlines to offer more flights. On September 28, 2011, Gol and Aerolíneas Argentinas planned to share flights and frequent flyer programs. This helps passengers use miles on both airlines.

On March 18, 2010, Gol made its maintenance base bigger. This base is at Belo Horizonte/Confins Airport. It can now service 120 aircraft per year. Gol also started fixing planes for other airlines, like Azul Brazilian Airlines and Copa Airlines.

On December 7, 2011, Delta Air Lines bought a small part of Gol's shares. This agreement also allowed the airlines to share flights. This means passengers could book a flight with one airline and fly on the other.

In October 2012, Gol ordered 60 new Boeing 737 MAX airplanes. These are modern and fuel-efficient planes. Also in 2012, Gol began offering seasonal flights to Miami and Orlando. These flights were mainly for customers who used their Smiles frequent flyer points.

In February 2014, Air France–KLM invested money in Gol. This was before the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Some people debate if Gol is still a "low-cost" airline. A low-cost airline usually offers cheaper tickets by removing extra services. While Gol started as one, its costs are now similar to other major airlines.

In 2024, Gol faced financial challenges and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New York. This process helps companies reorganize their debts while continuing to operate. Gol stated it would keep flying during this time.

Buying Other Airlines

A Varig Boeing 737-700

On March 28, 2007, Gol bought part of the "new Varig" airline for US$320 million. The "new Varig" owned the famous Varig brand name. Gol decided to keep the Varig brand name for some flights.

In 2009, Gol and VRG Linhas Aéreas (the "new Varig") officially merged. This meant VRG Linhas Aéreas operated flights under both the Gol and Varig names. However, most flights used Gol flight numbers.

A Webjet Boeing 737-300

On July 9, 2011, Gol announced it wanted to buy WebJet Linhas Aéreas. The deal was approved in October 2012. Webjet stopped flying on November 23, 2012, and Gol took over all its services. The Webjet brand no longer exists. Gol also returned Webjet's Boeing 737-300 planes to their owners.

On April 12, 2019, Gol started a partnership with TwoFlex. TwoFlex operated smaller flights for Gol in certain Brazilian states. These flights were sold by Gol but flown by TwoFlex. This helped Gol reach more smaller cities. However, this partnership ended when Azul Brazilian Airlines bought TwoFlex in 2020.

A MAP ATR 72 airplane

On June 8, 2021, Gol announced it would buy MAP Linhas Aéreas. This deal included important flight slots at São Paulo–Congonhas Airport.

Gol's Business Facts

Here are some important facts about Gol's business over the years:

Where Gol Flies

As of March 2024, Gol Transportes Aéreos flies to many places. These include cities in Brazil and other countries.

Gol also offers special bus services for its passengers. These buses connect different airports in São Paulo.

Airline Partnerships

Gol works with other airlines through "codeshare agreements." This means they sell tickets for each other's flights. This helps passengers connect to more places. Gol has agreements with these airlines:

Gol's Fleet of Airplanes

A Boeing 737-800 airplane

As of February 2024, Gol uses only Boeing 737 airplanes.

Current Airplanes

Past Airplanes

Gol used to operate these types of airplanes:

Smiles: Gol's Frequent Flyer Program

Smiles is Gol's program for frequent flyers. It started on July 20, 2006. Passengers earn points when they fly with Gol or its partner airlines. These points can be used for flights, upgrades, holidays, hotel stays, and car rentals.

Smiles was originally part of the "new Varig" airline that Gol bought. Gol decided to keep the program and honor all the miles people had earned. Smiles is now its own company.

Safety and Incidents

• On September 29, 2006, Gol Linhas Aéreas Flight 1907 was a flight from Manaus to Brasília. The plane, a Boeing 737, crashed after hitting a smaller jet in the air. All 154 people on board the Gol plane died. The smaller jet landed safely. This was the only fatal accident in Gol's history.
• On April 29, 2022, a Gol Boeing 737 bumped into an Azul Brazilian Airlines plane while moving on the ground at Viracopos International Airport. No one was hurt, but both planes had some damage.

See also

In Spanish: Gol Transportes Aéreos para niños

• List of airlines of Brazil