With its main base at Viracopos airport in the suburbs of Sao Paulo, Azul Linhas Aereas has been the fourth carrier founded or co-founded by commercial aviation guru David Neeleman, a Brazilian-born, US-citizen who had founded Morris Air and Jetblue in the US and Westjet in Canada. Initially an all-domestic, single-class airline more similar to a low-cost, Azul later expanded its network in South America, before launching long-haul flights to the US (Orlando and Fort Lauderdale) in 2014, by using 2-class Airbus A330-200s. Services to Lisbon commenced in 2018. As of December 2019, Azul was Brazil’s third largest (behind TAM and GOL) domestic carrier and second largest (behind TAM) international carrier, with a 23% and 5% market share, respectively (Photo Wikimedia Commons / N509FZ)
- - 5 STARS: Awarded to airlines achieving a very high, overall quality performance. It recognizes high standards of onboard product together with consistent and excellent standards of staff service across airport and cabin environments
- - 4 STARS: Awarded to airlines that deliver a good overall quality performance and provide good product standards across different travel cabins
- - 3 STARS: Awarded to airlines delivering a fair quality performance equating to the industry 'average' of acceptable product and service standards
- - 2 STARS: Shows airlines delivering a lower total quality performance, in some instances below the industry average across many rating categories
- - 1 STAR: Represents a poor quality of product delivered across the assessment sectors