Gol aims to add codeshare partners from Asia and the Middle East as it continues to rapidly grow its alliance portfolio.
The Brazilian low-cost carrier over the last two years has been actively seeking to forge codeshare and frequent flyer pacts as part of a new strategy which envisions establishing tie-ups with several foreign carriers that serve Brazil. Gol now codeshares with three carriers - Air France-KLM, American Airlines, and Panama's Copa - and is in the process of implementing codeshares with three additional carriers - Aeromexico, Delta Air Lines and Iberia.
"There are a couple - two or three others - in the oven," Gol chief financial officer Leonardo Pereira said on the sidelines of the Low Cost Airlines World Americas conference in Miami on 3 June. "I envision a bigger portfolio of airlines within the next 12 months."
Pereira adds within this group of two or three new codeshare partners to be added over the next year he expects one Middle Eastern carrier and one Asian carrier.
From the Middle East, Emirates now serves Brazil while Qatar Airways is planning to launch Sao Paulo service later this month. Asian carriers serving Brazil include Korean Air and Air China.
Gol currently only is able to place its code on other carriers but has been working with Navitaire for the last few years on upgrading its reservation system so that it can begin selling tickets on flights operated by its partners. Gol CEO Constantino Oliveira Junior told ATI last June that he expected Gol to begin selling tickets on other airlines by the end of 2009, starting with Air France-KLM.
Pereira acknowledges that Gol still doesn't have the capability to sell tickets on other carriers. He says Gol is now aiming to introduce the required technology next year.
While Gol is pursuing more codeshare partnerships, the carrier continues to reject expressions of interest from SkyTeam and Oneworld. Both alliances are keen to add Gol to offset the advantage Star, which formally added TAM last month, now enjoys in Brazil.
So far Gol has repeatedly stated its preference is to instead pursue codeshare deals with a mix of SkyTeam and Oneworld members. Pereira says Gol is not completely closing the door on the concept of joining an alliance but for now the strategy is still focusing on building up a "portfolio of individual alliances".
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
