Photo: GOL Linhas Aéreas.
This month, Brazil’s GOL Linhas Aéreas and Air France-KLM began implementing the agreement for the maintenance of engines from the Brazilian company’s aircraft by Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFIKLE&M) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Solidifying their partnership
The partnership, which traces back to 2014 when the South American and European companies first became allies, has taken a significant stride as they embark on a strategic agreement for the maintenance of GOL’s Boeing 737NG and 737 MAX engines.
A few weeks ago, both entities sealed a four-year financing deal dedicated to the maintenance of GOL engines at KLM’s MRO. In a statement, André Cruz, Vice President of Operations at GOL Linhas Aéreas, said,
“This partnership will allow the standard of excellence in GOL engine maintenance to remain at a very high level and aligned with our number one value, Safety.”
GOL has a fleet of 140 Boeing 737 family-based aircraft, with a strong order for new Boeing 737 MAX units. In total, the company has 202 CFM56 engines and 78 LEAP engines.
Increasing their partnership
In October 2023, GOL and Air France-KLM extended their commercial partnership for ten more years. Through this alliance, they are granting each other exclusivity on routes connecting Europe and Brazil. Additionally, the extended partnership is looking to optimize the network encompassing over 80 European destinations and 45 cities within Brazil.
Both parties also hinted at potential expansions into new Latin American destinations. GOL Linhas Aéreas and avianca are currently the founding members of Abra Group, a holding company. They also signed a collaboration agreement with Aerolíneas Argentinas and have been linked to a proposed investment opportunity in Chile’s Sky Airline.
When announcing the ten-year extension, Benjamin Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Air France-KLM, said Brazil is a strategic market for them. He added that the partnership with GOL has been instrumental in providing a comprehensive and broad value proposition in the region. He also said,
“This new agreement will allow us to implement the necessary structural enhancements to ensure Air France-KLM and GOL’s leadership position between Brazil and Europe.”
#AirFranceKLM & @VoeGOLoficial to extend and enhance their commercial partnership :
– reciprocal exclusivity on traffic flows between Europe and Brazil,
– improved connectivity with 125+ destinations covered,
– increased maintenance cooperation.
? https://t.co/xU81muYDwF— Air France-KLM Group (@AirFranceKLM) October 26, 2023
