With the arrival of Círio de Nazaré 2024, celebrated on the second Sunday of October, in Belém (PA), Azul is preparing for the period of intense movement at the capital's airport, with routes departing from Macapá, Manaus, Fortaleza, Santarém and Confins (Belo Horizonte). In this way, the company made 30 extra flights available between the days October 08th and 16th, which are already almost 90% full. Círio is one of the largest religious and cultural events in the country, in devotion to Our Lady of Nazareth, bringing together more than 400 thousand faithful at each edition.
“Azul recommends purchasing tickets in advance, but for those who left it until the last minute, there is still time to enjoy this beautiful festival. From Belém, we can welcome people from all regions of the country and even from abroad,” says Azul’s General Manager of Networks, Strategic Planning and Alliances, Vitor Silva.
There will be six flights from Macapá to Belém, from October 10 to 16. They take off from Macapá Airport at 00:10 and land at 01:05 in Belém. From Manaus, flights depart on Tuesday (08), Thursday (10) and Sunday (13) bound for Belém. On Tuesday and Thursday, the planes take off at 17:30 from Manaus. On Sunday, departure is at 03:05.
Flights from Fortaleza to Belém are scheduled for October 10 (Wednesday) and 14 (Monday), departing from the capital of Ceará at 18:20 p.m. on Wednesday and 14:55 p.m. on Monday. Recife will also have two flights to Belém – one on Monday (October 08) and another on Wednesday (October 10). Those departing from Belo Horizonte, Azul's second largest hub, which receives flights from 10 other cities, can take the flight on Saturday, October 10, at 56 p.m.
“The company will once again be present at a typically regional event, but with national scope, considered the Christmas of the people of Pará. So, much more than providing comfort on the journey for the Customers who will accompany them, this initiative values and integrates Brazilian culture”, adds Vitor Silva.
The theme of this year's Círio de Nazaré is “Persevering in prayer, with Mary, Mother of Jesus”, which is related to Pope Francis' request that 2024 be a year dedicated to prayer.
Held for over 200 years in Belém, the Círio de Nazaré was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage by Iphan and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The history of this religious festival began in 1700 with the discovery of the image of Our Lady of Nazareth by Caboclo Plácido, on the banks of a stream located near the imposing Basilica Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazareth. Devotion to the Virgin grew and, in 1793, the first procession took place in honor of the Patron Saint of the people of Pará. Since then, the Círio has been held annually, always bringing together a larger number of faithful, resulting in a broad program that includes, in addition to sacred rites, art, music and typical Amazonian cuisine.
Blue in Pará
There are over a thousand flights per month arriving and departing from Belém to 22 different destinations in the country and abroad, with a daily average of 31 flights. “Belém is a very important connection with the northern region of the country, being a gateway to several cities in the Amazon region. This makes the city strategic for Azul, with great potential”, says Vitor Silva.
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