SAO PAULO, Brazil, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. , the parent company of Brazil's low-cost airlines GOL Transportes Aereos S.A. and VRG Linhas Aereas S.A., announces that today VRG began daily operations to its newest international route: Sao Paulo -- Santiago.
Daily flights will depart from Guarulhos International Airport at 10:50 AM (local time), arriving at the Chilean capital at 1:50 PM (local time). On the return, flights will depart from Santiago's Merino Benitez International Airport at 3:30 PM (local time), landing in Sao Paulo at 8 PM (local time).
"Launching the Sao Paulo -- Santiago route is another step in the expansion of VRG's route network, which currently offers connections between countries in South America and Europe," says Lincoln Amano, VRG's commercial director. The Company currently flies to Frankfurt, London, Paris, and Rome in Europe, and Bogotá, Buenos Aires and Caracas in South America.
According to Brazil's Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Chile now ranks seventh among the largest importers of Brazilian goods. Brazilian exports to Chile grew nearly 8 percent last year, totaling US$ 3.9 billion. Brazil imported approximately US$ 2.9 billion in goods and services from Chile, a 66.5 percent increase compared to 2005. According to Embratur, since 2002 Chile has ranked eleventh among the top 15 countries providing tourists to Brazil. Approximately 150,000 Chilean tourists visited Brazil in 2006 and nearly 197,000 Brazilians traveled to Chile over the same period.
Tickets to Santiago are available for purchase through VRG's website (http://www.varig.com/) and the Company's call centers. Please see the destination table below for flight departure schedules:
Origin Destination Frequency Departure* Arrival* Sao Paulo Santiago Daily 10:50 AM 01:50 PM Santiago Sao Paulo Daily 03:30 PM 08:00 PM *Local time
