Brazil’s GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes begins weekly service to Saint Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles on June 12.
The flights will be operated on Saturdays by GOL’s VARIG brand. GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes will initially operate the flights as charters, although it has already applied for authorization from the authorities to operate scheduled service on the route.
“The new flight will increase the options for Brazilian tourists traveling to the Caribbean. In addition, we will be the only airline in the country flying between Brazil and Saint Maarten,” says Claudia Pagnano, GOL’s market vice-president.
The famous VARIG airline brand is now owned by GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, which operates some Boeing 737-800s in a VARIG livery and titles
The flights will leave Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) at 2:48 p.m. on Saturdays, with a stopover at Eduardo Gomes International Airport (MAO) in Manaus, from where they will depart for Saint Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) at 6:10 p.m., arriving at 9:30 p.m. (All times are local.) The return flight will depart from Saint Maarten at 11:30 p.m., arriving at MAO at 2:50 a.m. and back at GRU at 8:35 a.m. on Sunday.
In addition to the normal economy service, the flights will include VARIG’s Comfort class, which offers more leg room, hot meals, individual on-board entertainment, more privacy, a 150 per cent SMILES mileage bonus, exclusive check-in facilities, and priority boarding and disembarking.
Initially, sales will be handled by tour operators with whom GOL maintains agreements.
Related to this story:
- JetBlue Plans to Launch San Juan-St. Maarten Service in November
- Delta Launches Detroit-Sao Paulo Service
- Delta Asks for More Brazil Flights to Expand Detroit-Sao Paulo Service
- GOL to Launch Sao Paulo-Barbados Service under the VARIG Brand
- Delta Seeks Authority for Detroit-Sao Paulo Service
