Brazilian airline GOL Linhas Aéreas will launch a nonstop flight between Rio de Janeiro’s Galeão International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport starting in July, introducing Airbus A330-900 aircraft into its fleet for the first time.
The service will operate three times per week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Flights will depart Rio de Janeiro in the evening and arrive in New York the following morning, with the return flight leaving JFK in the morning and arriving in Rio early in the evening.
The route marks a major shift in GOL’s business model. Since its launch in 2001, the airline has operated a single-type fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft focused on short- and medium-haul routes across Brazil and South America. The introduction of the A330-900 will allow the company to operate intercontinental flights for the first time.
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It will also be the first time GOL operates widebody aircraft directly under its own brand. The airline briefly had access to larger twin-aisle aircraft in the late 2000s after acquiring part of the assets of former Brazilian carrier VARIG, but those aircraft were operated through a subsidiary and never flew in GOL’s livery.
With the move, GOL will begin competing more directly with its main Brazilian rivals, LATAM Airlines and Azul, both of which already operate widebody aircraft on long-haul routes to destinations in North America and Europe.
The New York service will also restore a regular nonstop link between Rio de Janeiro and the U.S. city operated by a Brazilian airline. In recent years, the route has largely been served by seasonal flights from U.S. carriers.
The launch follows GOL’s confirmation earlier this week that it will receive up to five Airbus A330-900 aircraft. The widebody jets will enable the airline to expand beyond the range limits of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that currently form the backbone of its fleet.
Additional destinations are already under consideration. During the announcement of the new route, company executives mentioned the possibility of future services to European cities such as Lisbon and Paris.
GOL chose Rio de Janeiro’s Galeão Airport as the base for its initial long-haul operations. The airport has available capacity for international flights and has been seeking to rebuild traffic in recent years.
The airline has also reserved slots at São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport, the country’s largest aviation hub, suggesting that additional long-haul routes from Brazil’s main market could be considered in the future.
