Azul expands operations at BH Airport with the start of flights to Orlando and an increase in regional seats

BH Airport opened, this past Sunday (24), Azul flight to Orlando, in the United States. The operation marks another step in expanding the airline’s presence at the airport, one of Azul’s main hubs. Currently, BH Airport has 90 daily flights from the airline to 49 destinations in Brazil and abroad.

Flights to Orlando will be operated on Fridays and Sundays, departing the capital of Minas Gerais at 9:30 am and arriving in Florida at 5:30 pm. Heading to Brazil, connections will take place on the same days, with takeoff from Orlando International Airport at 9pm and arrival in Belo Horizonte at 6am.

In 2023, the company innovated by becoming the only one to offer direct flights from Belo Horizonte to Curaçao. Furthermore, starting in December, the company will increase seat availability on its regional routes in Minas Gerais. The section that connects the capital to Varginha will have an increase in capacity from 36 to 54 seats. Likewise, Araxá will experience an increase from 63 to 280 seats, while Patos de Minas will increase from 27 to 210 weekly seats. These adjustments will be implemented through an upgrade of equipment and flight frequency.

Starting in October, the company will operate five new destinations in the Northeast leaving from Belo Horizonte, namely Aracaju (SE), João Pessoa (PB), Maceió (AL), Natal (RN) and Teresina (PI) and in the high season , will have new routes to Santarém (PA), Navegantes (SC) and Foz do Iguaçu (PR), being the second airport with the highest volume of Azul flights in the high season.

“The operation we built in Minas Gerais, in partnership with BH Airport, Invest Minas and the State government, is, above all, strategic for Customers. As a hub, the airport receives flights from all regions and connects to destinations within Brazil and around the world. Between 2022 and 2023, we experienced an 8% increase in the number of takeoffs. In addition to the growth of our regular network, we observed an increase of 11% in the month of December, which marks the beginning of the high season, compared to the regular schedule of November 2023. It is a partnership that we are very proud of, especially for serving the Azul’s commitment to connecting more and more places”, highlights César Grandolfo, Institutional Relations manager at Azul.

In addition to flights to Orlando, Azul began in June three weekly flights to Fort Lauderdale, in the United States, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, taking off from BH Airport at 12:30 pm and scheduled to arrive in the North American city at 8 pm.

For Clayton Begido, Connectivity and Aviation manager at BH Airport, strengthening the partnership with Azul directly contributes to expanding Minas Gerais’ connectivity with the world. “We consolidate ourselves daily as an important connection hub, ready to welcome people and generate opportunities. BH Airport is already recognized as the third airport with the largest number of destinations in the country. We are committed to constantly offering new options to our passengers, providing the best airport experience and opening the doors so that miners can travel wherever they want,” he says.

“Increasing Minas Gerais’ connection – through regional and international flights – is part of our permanent actions to encourage and encourage development”, reinforces Governor Romeu Zema. “We count on our strategic partners to further promote the Minas Gerais destination, boosting tourism and also attracting investment and generating jobs for Minas Gerais”, he adds.

“This is a fundamental flight to Minas Gerais, not only to facilitate the flow of tourists to one of the largest entertainment hubs in the world, but also due to the immense presence of miners in the Orlando region, whether as workers or entrepreneurs. With partnership between the Government of Minas, BH Airport and Azul, is another door that opens for Minas Gerais companies to seek new business opportunities and also, of course, a direct channel for American tourists to come and get to know our natural and cultural beauties and our famous cuisine and hospitality”, said Ronaldo Alexandre Barquette, director of Investment Attraction at Invest Minas.

Fernando Passalio, Secretary of State for Economic Development, reiterates the importance of another flight connecting Minas Gerais to such an important destination as Orlando, in the USA. “Creating these connections encourages the growth of the state, highlighting the broad mining, tourist and economic potential to the world. More destinations show that Minas is ready to welcome not only tourists, but also a wide range of investments. This expands our economy, in addition to creating more opportunities, jobs and income.”