RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The American Airlines Group said on Friday, October 11th, that it is negotiating a potential partnership with Gol. A spokesperson said that American Airlines is “always looking for potential partners,” adding that these potential partnerships are part of its regular operations. Gol refused to comment.
At 5:20 PM, Gol’s preferred shares rose 4.83 percent on the Ibovespa. American Airlines stated in a newspaper report that it was negotiating an agreement that could “incorporate flights between the two airlines in Latin America”.
The report by Valor Econômico, quoting sources close to the subject, reported that the two companies initiated contacts in September, on the same day that Delta Air Lines bought a stake in Latam Airlines, a competitor of Gol.
In September, Delta announced an agreement with Latam to buy a minority stake in the Chilean-based airline for US$1.9 billion. Delta subsequently sold its minority stake in Gol, and Latam and American terminated a pre-existing alliance.