Interview: Avianca Brasil CEO Plots Global Expansion
Photo Credit: Avianca Brasil CEO Frederico Pedreira will led the airline through its international expansion and perhaps into a merger with Avianca Colombia. Airbus / P. Pigeyre
Skift Take
Despite its well-known name, Avianca Brasil is a lot smaller than most travelers might think. But it's growing and recently started flying to Miami and New York. Expect to see more new long-haul routes soon.
Future of Passenger Experience
To better understand the challenges facing airlines in an age of fluctuating oil prices, rapid growth, and changing passenger expectations, our Future of Passenger Experience series will allow leaders in the industry to explain their best practices and insights.An airline called OceanAir Linhas Aéreas might not sell many tickets in New York and Miami, no matter how low the fares. Travelers tend to avoid the unfamiliar, and they might be jittery about booking a Brazilian airline they don't know.
But consumers have been booking journeys on that airline, even if they don't know it. OceanAir remains the official name of what most travelers know as Avianca Brasil. Until recently, Brazil's fourth-largest carrier had flown almost exclusively domestic routes, but in 2017, it launched new long-haul service to New York and Miami, with more growth planned.
The name Avianca likely sounds familiar to many flyers, but unless they're super travelers, they're probably not thinking about the carrier formerly known as OceanAir. Avianca Brasil's cousin, Avianca — Colombia's flag carrier since 1919 — has the long and storied history, as well as the global network. Avianca Brasil has a much smaller footprint, and didn't start flying u
