ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 15, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Azul, Brazil's largest airline by number of cities served, today will inaugurate daily nonstop service to and from Orlando, its second international destination. The airline's first arrival will land at Orlando International Airport at 5:10pm and the first outbound flight will leave for São Paulo/Campinas at 7:45pm this evening.
Since launching domestic service in Brazil six years ago today, Azul has flown more than 100 million customers, changing the face of competition in the Brazilian domestic aviation market. The airline's 145-aircraft fleet currently operates one-third of Brazil's daily departures with more than 900** flights, serving 105 destinations.
"We're so excited to add this new service for the hundreds of thousands of Brazilians living in Central Florida and the millions in Brazil who love to visit Orlando for all the experiences on offer here," said David Neeleman, Azul's Founder and CEO. "It's a tribute to our more than 10,000 crewmembers that we've seen such success in the last six years and we're thrilled to grow our international operations."
From its new $1.5 billion terminal at São Paulo/Campinas International Airport, located 60 minutes from the city, Azul conveniently connects to popular destinations including Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Salvador and Iguacu Falls.
"The addition of this service not only demonstrates the strong connection between two world-class destinations, but also our ongoing efforts to attract new international carriers to the Orlando area," said Jim Rose, Deputy Executive Director of Business Services of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. "Welcoming Azul Airlines to Orlando International Airport gives our passengers another economical option in travel to and from South America."
Azul launched daily services between Fort Lauderdale and Campinas on December 2. Fares for the new services from both Fort Lauderdale and Orlando can be purchased on www.flyazul.com, starting from $888 roundtrip* (including fees and taxes).
* Fare based on economy class service, for low season. Seats are limited and fare may not be available on all flights.
** Number based on today's date (15/12/14).
About Azul
Azul, Brazil's largest airline by number of cities served, offers more than 900 daily flights to 105 destinations. With a fleet of 145 aircraft and more than 10,000 crewmembers, the company currently has a 33% share of departures of the Brazilian aviation market. In 2014, Azul was named best low cost carrier in Latin America for the fourth consecutive time by Skytrax. The airline was also named Best Low Cost Carrier in the World by CAPA in 2012 and is recognized by FlightStats as having the best on-time performance in Latin America. For more information visit www.flyazul.com.