Gol wins court approval to probe alleged Latam plane poaching

Bankrupt Brazilian airline Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes won court permission to investigate whether its rival Latam Airlines Group sought to take unfair advantage of its recent Chapter 11 filing by improperly soliciting major Boeing aircraft suppliers. Judge Martin Glenn said Monday there is merit in investigating allegations Latam tried to either poach or interfere with Boeing 737 aircraft lessors doing business with Gol after the Brazilian budget airline filed bankruptcy last month. Glenn cited a letter Latam sent to aircraft lessors the day after Gol filed bankruptcy. A Latam lawyer said the Jan. 26 letter was the fist time in recent years the company had inquired about a type of narrowbody Boeing 737 aircraft flown by Gol. Latam has historically flown a fleet of Airbus aircraft, according to court documents. It would be “preposterous” to assume it was merely a coincidence Latam sent the letter immediately after Gol filed Chapter 11, Glenn said. In the letter, Latam said it was seeking more aircraft, which the airline said might be of interest to lessors “given the recent events in the industry.” Glenn granted the Sao Paulo-based airline’s request to get documents and conduct depositions of Latam officials in order to gather evidence, should any exist, substantiating claims that Latam sought to interfere with Gol’s business or violate its Chapter 11 stay, which protects companies in bankruptcy. Latam has denied the allegations and argued Gol is seeking such information to gain an unfair edge on its rival. <br/>