Azul
Brazil · Active
Airline Identity
History
Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras was founded on 5 May 2008 by JetBlue founder David Neeleman, marking his first airline venture in his native Brazil, and began flying on 15 December 2008 out of Campinas's Viracopos Airport with a strategy of connecting underserved secondary cities. The airline expanded rapidly through the 2010s, including its 2012 acquisition of regional carrier TRIP Linhas Aéreas, and listed shares on the New York Stock Exchange and Brazil's B3 exchange in 2017, growing into one of Brazil's three dominant airlines alongside GOL and LATAM Brasil. Rising debt and elevated aircraft-lease costs, worsened by a weak Brazilian real, led the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States on 28 May 2025.
Current Operations
Azul is Brazil's largest airline by number of destinations served, operating more than 800 daily flights to over 130 destinations with a fleet of roughly 200 aircraft spanning the Airbus A320neo family, A330neo widebodies, Embraer E-Jets, and ATR turboprops, run from a multi-hub network centered on Viracopos/Campinas (VCP) with further hubs at Belo Horizonte/Confins (CNF) and Recife (REC). The airline completed its Chapter 11 restructuring and emerged on 5 March 2026 with about $2.5 billion in debt eliminated and roughly $850 million in new equity, including investments from United Airlines and American Airlines, a process that diluted founder David Neeleman's controlling stake. Azul is not a member of Star Alliance, oneworld, or SkyTeam but holds extensive codeshare and interline partnerships with carriers including United, American, JetBlue, Air Canada, TAP, and Emirates.
Last verified 2026-09-03· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.