With the stroke of a pen, Air Canada has signed an agreement designed to further “unlock the Americas” through a strategic partnership with the parent company of Avianca and GOL airlines.
Subject to final documentation and regulatory approval, the Memorandum of Understanding with the Abra Group will enable the partners to expand their global reach, providing customers and shippers greater connectivity across North, Central and South America and beyond.
Under the proposed strategic partnership, which is subject to the negotiation of final documentation and regulatory approval, Air Canada and Abra would:
- Expand global reach by strengthening connectivity between Canada and key Latin America markets, with broader access to international markets
- Deepen commercial integration through coordinated sales and distribution
- Establish a Joint Business Agreement on select Canada-Latin America routes, to enable deeper commercial integration
- Expand codeshare cooperation across the Americas and beyond, including for travel between Latin America and other international markets via Canadian gateways
- Enhance the Customer Experience to provide more seamless travel, including coordinated airport services, smoother connections, aligned baggage policies, and improved disruption management
- Strengthen frequent flyer cooperation, delivering increased earning and redemption opportunities and improved recognition across both networks
“Air Canada and Abra Group are building the foundations for an enhanced partnership that will further unlock the Americas,” said Air Canada executive VP and COO Mark Galardo. “With Latin America acting as a fast-growing and strategic component of Air Canada’s global presence, our customers to and from the region have long benefited from existing codeshare partnerships with Abra Group.
“Building from a highly complementary presence across the Americas, this (deal) creates a pathway to further bolster our partnership, improve the customer experience, and enhance global connectivity.”
Mary-Jane Lorette, VP, Revenue Management, Partnerships and International Affairs at Air Canada, added: “The Canada-South America market is accelerating, and we are investing to capture this momentum, expanding into key markets such as Lima, Santiago and Rio de Janeiro, with further growth ahead in Quito, while building on our strong foundation with Avianca through Star Alliance and our long-standing collaboration with GOL to shape connectivity across the Americas and unlock greater value for our customers.”
Avianca, the second-oldest airline in the world, operates a fleet primarily comprised of A320 and B787 passenger aircraft, as well as cargo aircraft. GOL, one of Brazil’s leading airlines, operates a fleet largely composed of B737 passenger aircraft.
If you enjoyed or found this story useful, we’d appreciate if you would forward it to a colleague or friend who may also enjoy it. If, on the other hand, a friend shared it with you, welcome! You can get all the latest travel news and reviews from Travel Industry by simply clicking HERE.