CE of Brazil’s biggest airline is optimistic despite currency strife

It’s proving to be a bumpy year in Brazil, but the top executive of the country’s biggest airline can’t shake his optimism. Despite election-year uncertainty and a currency that’s yet again unsettled, CE Paulo Sergio Kakinoff sees historically low interest rates and subdued inflation -- coupled with an economy that’s lurching forward -- boosting Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes. That, and loyal consumers. "The company is less impacted now by the macroeconomics," Kakinoff said. "There’s an impact because of the consumer’s preference -- our market share is higher -- that makes our results more resilient." Aside from a less hostile economic environment -- Brazil is far from its glory days of growing some 5% annually, but a recession that sank GDP by 7.8% is over -- an overhaul of the country’s labour laws has also helped the airline. <br/>