Tag Archives: Smiles

Boeing and Gol to work on a sustainable biofuel in Brazil

Boeing (Chicago) and Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (Gol Transportes Aereos) (Sao Paulo) will work together to speed the research, development and approval of new sources of sustainable aviation biofuel in Brazil. Their collaboration will support Gol’s plans to use this lower-carbon jet fuel on more flights during upcoming major sporting events and also will benefit long-term development of a new sustainable aviation biofuel industry in Brazil.

Paulo Sergio Kakinoff, chief executive officer of Gol, and Van Rex Gallard, vice president of Sales for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, signed a memorandum of understanding for biofuel collaboration at the Latin America and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) Airline Leaders Forum 2013.

Gol plans to use sustainable biojetfuel on 200 flights during the major sporting event in Brazil in 2014 and to incorporate biofuel into 20 percent of its flights during the major sporting event taking place in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Boeing will work with Gol to identify and select the most promising feedstocks and refining technologies and then will play a leading role in the approval process for new fuel pathways to ensure the fuel meets safety and performance standards.

The agreement between Boeing and Gol is a significant new step in efforts to advance an aviation biofuel industry in Brazil. On October 23, Brazil’s Aviator’s Day, Gol conducted Brazil’s first commercial biofuel flight in a Boeing 737-800 powered in part by sustainable aviation biofuel made from waste cooking oil and blended by Petrobras, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Following the flight, aviation industry stakeholders including Gol and Boeing, as well as Brazilian officials and research institutions, announced a national effort called the Brazilian Biojetfuel Platform to establish a sustainable biojetfuel industry with research and development in several regions of the country. If the Platform is successful, Brazil, which has already established a biofuel industry could be the first nation to establish a sustainable aviation biofuel industry from biomass production to flight.

Copyright Photo: Rodrigo Cozzato/AirlinersGallery.com. Gol’s Boeing 737-809 PR-GIT (msn 28403) in the striking Smiles special livery departs from Sao Paulo (Guarulhos).

Gol:

Gol’s second quarter net loss widens to $354 million

Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. (Gol Transportes Aereas and Webjet Linhas Aereas) (Sao Paulo) reported its second quarter net loss expanded to $354 million due to fuel costs and its debt service.

Read the full report from the airline (in Portuguese): CLICK HERE

Read the analysis by the WSJ: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Rodrigo Cozzato. “Smiles” is not the operative word at Gol’s headquarters with this financial report. Boeing 737-809 PR-GIT (msn 28403) approaches the Sao Paulo (Guarulhos) hub while promoting the in-house “Smiles” frequent flyer program (click on the photo for the full view and further information).

Gol:

Webjet:

Gol promotes its Smile frequent flyer program with a new logojet

Gol Transportes Aereos (Sao Paulo) this month has introduced this colorful “Smiles” logojet to promote its frequent flyer program. Customers can accrue miles in the program that can be redeemed for free trips, especially to new destinations like Miami (this aircraft will fly the weekly route to Miami). Passengers can also purchase extra miles up to 4,000 miles in order to speed up the redemption of their free tickets.