FRANKFURT, 21 August 2019: Brazilian airline Ocean Air Linhas Aéreas, headquartered in São Paulo and formerly doing business as Avianca Brasil, will formally leave Star Alliance as of 1 September.
Ocean Air’s withdrawal follows several months of bankruptcy protection and the removal of its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by Brazilian regulator ANAC.
The Star Alliance network presence in the Brazilian market goes back to 1997.
As of 1 September 2019, Star Alliance will have 27 member airlines.
Star Alliance CEO Jeffrey Goh said: “I wish to stress that the exit of Avianca Brasil in no way affects the membership of Avianca S.A., our valued member based in Bogota, Colombia, which continues to be a significant contributor to the alliance in South America.”
Eleven of the Star Alliance member airlines offer direct services to and from Brazil, namely: Air Canada, Avianca, Air China, Copa Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, South African Airways, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines and United.
Together, Star Alliance member airlines operate 588 weekly flights from 11 domestic points in Brazil to 17 Star Alliance hubs, offering connections to a further 738 international destinations, more than any other airline alliance.
