The plan has always been ambitious, to be the largest airline in Brazil and connect Brazilians with all cities in the country. The strategy to realize the dream began in January 2020, when Azul Linhas Aéreas announced the creation of its regional subsidiary, Azul Conecta. Five months after the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, on August 11 of that year, the dream gained strength and the need to enhance regional aviation became a reality.
Today, three years later, Azul Conecta has many reasons to celebrate: it has increased the number of flights, planes and destinations. Since its inception, the company has grown 81% in the number of destinations served and today travels to more than 80 Brazilian cities, in addition to having 27 aircraft and 70 daily flights between cities in the interior, also connecting to the national capitals and, consequently, to the international destinations. And there's more, the company predicts a growth of 20% in the coming years.
“We have always dreamed of connecting Brazilians with Brazil, in addition to showing the world the diversity of beauties existing here and stimulating the potential for social and economic development through regional aviation”, John Rodgerson, CEO of Azul.
The company has other services that make it stand out, such as chartering aircraft for those who need to book a private flight.
The planes are ready to serve customized charters, whether family groups, corporate groups, the most diverse types of tourism and cargo, which take objects to the most remote Brazilian destinations. In addition, the company has programs for aircraft maintenance and pilot training with virtual reality technology. All these services are offered by the 314 crew of Azul Conecta. Of this total, 147 are pilots, and the rest are divided between maintenance technicians, istrative and areas of the company.
“Some regions of Brazil understand more the importance of regional aviation, as is the case in the north of the country. Residents of states like Amazonas and Pará, for example, used to take boat trips that lasted days, but with the arrival of the company, they began to visit destinations in a few hours. This is a huge achievement for national tourism, local economies and, consequently and most importantly, for Brazilians. Our goal for the future is to expand even more the destinations served and show all of Brazil the importance of investing in regional aviation”, says Flávio Costa, Technical vice-president of Azul and president of Azul Conecta.
Of the total cities served by the company, more than 50% of them have less than 100 inhabitants. According to data from the latest IBGE, more than two thirds of Brazilian cities (69%) have up to 20 inhabitants. These municipalities concentrate just over 15% of the population (32 million people).
The most diverse fleet in Brazil
Customers who choose to fly with Azul Conecta will be on board Cessna Gran Caravan aircraft, a single-engine regional turboprop with capacity for up to nine seats.
“The models used by Azul Conecta are extremely safe. Customers may be afraid to fly, but until they board for the first time and feel the magic happen. Using an aircraft like this to travel around Brazil is wonderful”, assesses Costa.
The company's fleet has 27 units of the model, three of which are exclusively freighters, which contribute to the expansion of Azul Cargo Express, Azul's cargo unit that can take materials to cities that are not served by the company's regular flights. Of the 24 remaining models, 10 are Cessna Grand Caravan EX, the latest generation model. All together are responsible for flying around 200 hours a month, an average of 6,4 hours a day. “The route taken at low altitude, combined with the stunning national view, has proved to be a great attraction for Customers”, adds the executive.
Showing Brazil to Brazil
Azul Conecta performs one of the most beautiful flights, highlighting the Route of Emotions, a circuit that es through the main tourist attractions on the coast of Ceará, Piauí and Maranhão. The trip has a panoramic flight, connecting the cities of Aracati, Fortaleza, Jericoacoara, Parnaíba, Barreirinhas and São Luís, showing the paradisiacal beauties of each destination up close.
In this itinerary, it is worth highlighting the clear waters and white sand of Praia de Canoa Quebrada, the exuberant Delta do Parnaíba and the entrance to the beautiful Lençóis Maranhenses. The Rota das Emoções plane, as the aircraft was renamed, is inspired by the Northeast, in the shape of the dunes gently contouring the beauty of the lakes, the beautiful beaches of the region, the winds and sailing sports.
Azul Conecta and its 80 Brazilian destinations
The company's focus remains focused on connecting Brazilians to all corners of the country, considering the more than 5 national municipalities. Currently, the company flies to around 80 cities, connecting mainly the North, Northeast, South and Midwest regions of the country. What's more, Customers in these locations can buy an airline ticket and fly to the United States, for example, with a single ticket, as all destinations served by Azul Conecta are connected to the company's main hubs, in Campinas ( SP), Belo Horizonte (MG) and Recife (PE), in addition to the mini hubs in Campina Grande (PB), Belém (PA) and others.
Scan to grow
In June of this year, the company received authorization from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) to transform all its maintenance records into digital format. The change was authorized under ANAC's Digital Transformation Program, in which the Agency assists air operators and maintenance companies in the adoption of electronic tools and automated processes. Digitization promotes, for example, cost reduction and facilitates the registration and sharing of information. It also ensures that maintenance procedures are carried out in accordance with what is provided for in manuals, reduces filling errors and provides guidance to fleet management on possible aircraft unavailability. In short, it offers savings for the company and safety for aviation.
“Azul Conecta is a hub of innovation and technology, and having ANAC by our side, in obtaining this process and certification, is very rewarding. Being aligned with the best practices in world commercial aviation is in the DNA of our company and that of ANAC, a body that works daily to promote a more technological and safer aviation in Brazil”, reinforces Flávio.
Services offered by Azul Conecta
To meet the needs of potential Clients in the segment, based on safety reference, the services offered include: aircraft charter, aircraft maintenance programs and pilot training with virtual reality technology.
enger and Cargo Chartering Service
For the enger charter service, Azul Conecta has 24 Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft, with capacity for nine Customers and autonomy of 6.5 hours. Being able to charter private flights for family, corporate and tourism groups of the most diverse.
As for cargo chartering, the airline has three models of exclusively freighter aircraft, capable of transporting cargo and parcels.
The steps for the charter service are dynamic and anyone interested in acquiring it can send the request via phone, email or WhatsApp. As the main point of this service, customization stands out, since the demand is completely personalized according to the Client's requirements.
Aircraft Maintenance Service
Among the main aeronautical maintenance services, Azul Conecta provides consulting on: preventive, corrective and AOG maintenance; testing and configuring the ELT; modernization of light bulbs to LED; design and execution of structural repairs; Eddy Current, Ultrasound, Liquid Penetrant and Magnetic Particle TND inspections; analysis and reading of flight data, as well as guidance on how to prepare reports with a P professional report. In addition, it is worth noting that Azul Conecta is one of the few Brazilian companies with the equipment and expertise to carry out the Recertification of Aircraft for RVSM Flights.
Pilot Training
Pilot training includes: flight simulators with virtual reality glasses, CRM philosophy and training in Cessna Grand Caravan 208/208B/EX certified by Azul Conecta.
Azul Conecta hangar
Azul Conecta's operations center is located in the city of Jundiaí, in the interior of São Paulo. The site has more than 1.855 m2 of built area and has 171 Crew allocated. The space is responsible for carrying out aircraft maintenance, in addition to having space for pilot training.
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Street: Blue Connects
