SAO PAULO--Brazilian low-cost airline Gol Linhas Aereas
Inteligentes (GOLL4.BR, GOL) said Tuesday that it began daily
flights to Miami over the weekend, part of the company's
reorganization of its flight network.
Gol started operating daily flights from Sao Paulo and Rio de
Janeiro to the North American city on Saturday, the company's press
office said. The flights make a stop in the Dominican Republic
capital of Santo Domingo, a flight path that allows Gol to continue
operating its fleet of Boeing 737-800s, which don't have a long
enough range for a direct flight to Miami.
Gol reported losses of more than one billion Brazilian reais
($480 million) in the first nine months of this year as costs rose
and aggressive expansion in previous years led to flights with many
empty seats. The company has said it will reduce seats on domestic
flights by 5% to 8% in the first half of next year in an effort to
boost profitability.
Meanwhile, the company has been reconfiguring international
routes to increase revenue from flights to Latin America and North
America. According to news reports, Gol, which sold a 3% stake to
Delta Air Lines (DAL) at the end of last year, also plans to
provide connections to Delta's hub in Atlanta to allow connections
to other locations in the U.S.
Write to Paulo Winterstein at paulo.winterstein@dowjones.com