Gol recovery on track as Brazil vaccinations climb: CEO

Brazil’s Gol saw increased customer demand in the second quarter amid continued roll out of Covid-19 vaccinations in the vast Latin American country. In the three months ending 30 June, Sao Paulo-based Gol achieved R$1b ($197m) in revenue, almost three times that of the same quarter last year, Gol reports on 29 July. That figure is still 67% less than in the same period of pre-pandemic 2019. The airline reported a Q2 loss of R$1.2b. CE Paulo Kakinoff expresses confidence in the resilience of the Brazilian market, as more people are vaccinated. He expects the trend of passengers returning to air travel will continue through the year, with business customers joining the upswing. “This progress on vaccinations is promising for the continued recovery of Brazil’s economy and a ramp-up in travel demand as Brazilians feel safe to return to their normal routines,” he says. “A traditionally weak quarter proved to be a period of recovery for the industry, which resumed growth in line with the downtrend in cases of Covid-19.” During Q2, Gol carried 2.9m customers, nearly five times the number it transported in Q2 2020, when the coronavirus tore around the world and numerous countries imposed travel restrictions.<br/>