During its presentation to international investors last week, Azul Linhas Aéreas focused more on the past period and financial management, revealing few details of its future operating plans. However, one of the company’s ambitions has become known and concerns a substantial increase in the number of destinations.
Azul’s Director of Revenue, Abhi Shah, commented: “We are currently in 115 destinations. Our plan predicts that we will reach 135 in the next six months, so we are going to keep our network connected. Hubs like Campinas have more than 100% capacity than before the pandemic, Recife with 120%, and Belo Horizonte with almost 100% and it will get stronger.»
This figure means a 17% growth in the number of destinations and reaches a significant level, well ahead of the competition. One of the assets of the company to achieve this number is in its diversified fleet. The president of the airline, John Rodgerson, commented on the matter in the same meeting.
“I want to comment on that (the diversified fleet). Anyone can operate a single model fleet. It’s the easiest thing in the world. Many low cost do it, but having a complex fleet like the one we have, flying everywhere, from Caravans to large jets, makes a difference. And that is why we can access the demand from anywhere. They can see a flight with an A320, an ATR or a Caravan,» said the executive in statements reproduced by our partner in Brazil, Aeroin.net.
«And fleet flexibility is important. That is why we can fly more than our competitors, and that is why we are more profitable than our competitors,» he added.
Rodgerson also said that the difference is also in the modernization of the fleet, which today continues to incorporate the second generation of Embraer E-Jets and A320neo.
«We have invested in this for 10 years. And you know what? It is complex, but crucial at this stage of the game,» he concluded.
Azul´s fleet
- 33 ATR 72-600s
- 42 A320neos
- 4 A321neos
- 8 A330-200s
- 5 A330-900s
- 9 Embraer E195-E2s
- 3 Embraer E190s
- 47 Embraer E195s
- 2 Boeing 737-400Fs
- 17 Cessna Grand Caravans (incorporated after the purchase of TwoFlex in 2020).
