Azul celebrates 15 years of a base that helped this expansion take off, since its first flights. Two months after Azul's debut in Brazilian skies, Recife/Guararapes International Airport – Gilberto Freyre became the airline's sixth base, and today, it is its main hub in the Northeast. During this period, 370.748 flights took off from the main airport in the capital of Pernambuco, transporting more than 37 million customers to national and international destinations, equivalent to 25 times the population of Recife.
During 2009, in the first year of operations at Recife International Airport, Azul operated a daily flight to Campinas. Now, it operates 93 daily departures to more than 40 national and international destinations. In addition to its importance for connectivity, Azul's presence in Recife has had a significant impact on local socioeconomic development. In this sense, the companhia currently employs almost two thousand crew in the northeast of the country, most of them in Recife. And its operations contribute directly and indirectly to the generation of jobs in related sectors, such as airport services, cargo logistics, aircraft maintenance and other segments of aviation and tourism.
The Recife region is widely recognized for its rich cultural traditions, stunning beaches and historical heritage, elements that reinforce local tourism. The region's tourism infrastructure is robust, with a variety of hotels, resorts and restaurants to suit different preferences and budgets. Government and private initiatives help promote cultural events, such as the region's famous carnival, in addition to the various tourist services that also play a vital role in the sector.
Fabio Campos, director of Institutional Relations at Azul, highlighted the importance of this milestone for everyone. “We are extremely proud to celebrate 15 years of a partnership that has taken off and grown with the company. The exchange with all entities in the region was always mutual and led to the development of the city, the state and the entire Northeast region, in addition to the airport and Azul, in all aspects. More than celebrating, we took advantage of this anniversary to reinforce our commitment to Pernambuco, Recife and the entire Northeast region, working to expand our local operations and continue to offer the best travel experience to our customers”, concludes.
In this sense, the Northeast of Brazil is experiencing a great level of connectivity. With increased investment in airport infrastructure and the expansion of routes, the region is more accessible than ever. This has positive impacts on tourism, the economy and the integration of northeastern cities with the rest of the country and the world.
Likewise, Azul reinforces that, in the second half of this year, it will have new features in its network and operations departing from Recife, with more flights and new destinations, further increasing capacity in the region. This includes the return of flights to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale (USA), which will be temporarily suspended between March and May. From June onwards, these flights will resume and are already being sold normally through the company's main sales channels.
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