Defunct airline Avianca Brasil will formally exit Star Alliance on September 1, the group has announced.
Brazil’s fourth-largest airline announced plans to file for bankruptcy at the end of last year, but had said it would continue to fly.
In April it cancelled more than 1,000 flights after being compelled to return 18 aircraft to leasing companies, reportedly leaving it with just seven planes. That month it discontinued two prominent international routes from Sao Paulo to Miami and New York.
Brazil’s civil aviation regulator later forced it to suspend all flights and operations until it could “prove it has the capacity to maintain operations safely,” according to Reuters. It had been operating around 30 flights a day.
Earlier this month its landing and take-off rights at Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo were distributed among four other airlines.
The airline is officially called Ocean Air Linhas Aéreas S/A, but did business as Avianca Brasil.
Star Alliance CEO Jeffrey Goh commented: “Initially joining Star Alliance in 2015, Avianca Brasil made important contributions to our customer proposition in the Brazilian market, and we regret this unfortunate development.
“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.”
It takes the airline alliance to 27 members.
The group said in a statement that eleven of its members offer direct services to and from Brazil (Air Canada, Avianca, Air China, Copa Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, South African Airways, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines and United.)
