Colombia’s Avianca and Brazil’s GOL to join forces, creating uncertainty for US partners
Two of Latin America’s biggest airlines are joining forces.
Avianca, the flag carrier of Colombia, and GOL, the third-largest airline in Brazil, will come together under a new holding company called Abra Group Limited, which will own both airlines.
Each airline will maintain its own brand and continue to operate separately. When the deal closes, expected in the second half of this year, Abra Group will operate similarly to the large airline holding company in Europe – International Airlines Group (IAG), which owns British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and other smaller airlines.
Abra will also own low-cost carriers Viva Colombia and Viva Peru, which recently announced plans to join Avianca, while keeping operations independent.
Even though these airlines will all remain independent, there may be some awkward uncertainties for two major U.S. airlines: American and United.
By Ethan Klapper via The Points Guy.