Gol, the Brazilian airline, had 297% growth in the number of passengers transported on the company’s international routes in August this year when compared to August 2005.
Among domestic and foreign passengers, the increase was 72%. The Gol passenger seat factor in August was 77%. This information was supplied by a spokesperson for the company.
On September 3, the company began operating daily flights to the city of Ilhéus, in southeast Bahia. The new flights will operate on the São Paulo (Guarulhos) – Ilhéus – Salvador route.
Located 458 km from Salvador, Ilhéus is the most important city in the Costa do Cacau region of Bahia. The city, which is over 470 years old, has been the setting of several novels by the renowned Brazilian author Jorge Amado (1912-2001), for whom Ilhéus’ airport is named.
Main attractions include the city’s beautiful beaches and Atlantic Forest Reserves. Last year, the number of passengers flying to and from Ilhéus was approximately 238,075, a 13.1 percent increase over 2004.
"The inclusion of this important touristic and economic site in Bahia among our destinies is the effort of the company in continuing to popularize air travel throughout Brazil and South America," says Tarcísio Gargioni, vice president of Marketing and Services at Gol.