Airlines
Avianca Brasil to Return Aircraft, Cut Routes
Fellow Brazilian airline Azul has agreed to assume slots at three major airports.
An Avianca Brasil Airbus A319 takes off from Santos Dumont Airport in Rio de Janeiro. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons (BY) by Joao Carlos Medau)
An Avianca Brasil Airbus A319 takes off from Santos Dumont Airport in Rio de Janeiro. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons (BY) by Joao Carlos Medau)

Financially strapped Avianca Brasil in April will remove 22 aircraft from its fleet of 48 and reduce the number of destinations in its network from 44 to 23, the airline announced late Monday. Appeals had stayed orders to return 10 leased Airbus A320s to Aircastle subsidiary Constitution Aircraft, and another 10 A320s to GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), pending a creditors’ assembly, but that will take place this week. Avianca will shut its base at Rio’s Galeão international airport, and two bases in the Brazilian Northeast, besides ending international operations this month as previously announced.