GOL To Resume Venezuela Flights As Connectivity To Brazil Remains Limited

Brazil’s GOL Linhas Aéreas is returning to the Venezuelan market after nearly a decade away, addressing the lack of air connectivity between the South American neighbors.

The airline plans to launch flights to Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, starting March 31, with twice-weekly service from Brasilia International Airport operated using Boeing 737-8 aircraft. However, the route will not be nonstop, as flights will include a stop in the Colombian capital Bogotá.

GOL previously operated a nonstop route between São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) and Caracas, but suspended its Venezuela operations in February 2016. At the time, the airline cited difficulties in repatriating revenues to Brazil as a primary reason for halting services.

LATAM Airlines Group also discontinued its Caracas-São Paulo route three months after GOL’s exit, as the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela deepened. This left Avior Airlines’ Caracas-Manaus service as the only connection between the two nations.

After a pandemic-related halt in flights, Venezuela’s flag carrier Conviasa launched a new route from Puerto Ordaz to Manaus in April 2023. This remains the sole air link between Venezuela and Brazil, operating once weekly with Embraer 190 aircraft. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, the service provides just 208 two-way weekly seats, underscoring the limited connectivity between the two countries.

GOL’s plans to resume flights to Caracas’ Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) via a fifth-freedom route from Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG) coincide with adjustments to its Colombian network. The airline initially launched a GRU-BOG route on March 31, 2024, followed by a BOG-Buenos Aires connection the next day. However, these flights are being discontinued as GOL shifts its focus to the new Brasília-Bogotá route, set to begin in early February.

On the BOG-CCS leg of the route, GOL will compete with five other airlines that collectively provide about 6,200 two-way weekly seats at present. Copa Airlines Colombia has a 24% capacity share of the market, followed by Avianca (23.2%), LATAM Airlines Group (22.4%), Laser Airlines (21.2%) and Avior Airlines (9.2%).

Meanwhile, OAG data shows that there are about 95,200 international departure seats from Venezuela in January 2025, down by 35% year-on-year. The drop is largely due to capacity reductions stemming from diplomatic spats with counties including the Dominican Republic, Panama and Peru. Spain is currently Venezuela’s largest international market, followed by Colombia and Turkey.