By Brazil Stock Guide – Brazil’s aviation regulator authorized Spain’s Wamos Air and Nigeria’s Air Peace to operate regular passenger and cargo services in the country, clearing the way for new international routes and strengthening Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes SA’s long-haul strategy.
The approval by Anac, announced Monday (22), followed the regulatory procedures required for foreign airlines seeking access to Brazil’s aviation market. The decision allows the two carriers to operate international services involving Brazil.
For Gol, whose preferred shares trade in São Paulo under the ticker GOLL4, the clearance is a key step in its plan to resume and expand intercontinental flights. The Brazilian airline is expected to rely on Wamos Air aircraft because it does not yet have long-range jets in its current fleet.
Wamos Air is based in Madrid and specializes in wet-lease operations, a model in which the provider supplies aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance to the contracting airline. The company was acquired in October 2024 by Abra Group, the holding company that controls Gol and Avianca. Abra is not publicly listed.
The Spanish carrier is expected to provide an Airbus A330-200 for Gol’s route between Rio de Janeiro and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The aircraft is scheduled to leave Madrid on July 6 for Rio de Janeiro’s Galeão International Airport as part of the preparation for the service.
The aircraft has 280 seats, including 20 in business class and 260 in economy. Wamos aircraft are expected to support Gol’s international operations throughout 2026.
Gol Chief Executive Officer Celso Ferrer has also identified Lisbon and Paris as planned international destinations. Those routes are expected to be operated initially with Wamos aircraft. The airline has also requested slots for Porto and London, though those services have not been confirmed.
Gol’s transition to its own long-haul aircraft is expected to occur once the first A330neo jets currently linked to Azul SA are permanently incorporated into its operation. Azul’s preferred shares trade in São Paulo under the ticker AZUL4.
The authorization also allows Air Peace to move ahead with a direct route between Lagos and São Paulo. The Nigerian carrier, founded in 2013, is one of the country’s largest private airlines and operates domestic flights as well as services to destinations in West Africa and the Middle East.
A nonstop Lagos-São Paulo route would sharply reduce travel time between Nigeria and Brazil. The trip currently can take nearly two days with multiple connections, while a direct flight would take about seven hours.
The route follows diplomatic efforts between Brazil and Nigeria. The two countries signed a Bilateral Air Services Agreement last year after talks between aviation ministers in Brasília. A later meeting between the presidents of both countries reinforced the plan and formalized Air Peace as the carrier chosen for the São Paulo-Lagos connection.
Flights were initially expected to begin between October and December 2025. The start was delayed because Air Peace lacked available aircraft in its fleet. Nigeria’s foreign minister said operations would begin “as soon as the company had the aircraft.”
The Brazilian route is part of Air Peace’s wider international expansion. The airline has pending authorization requests for Toronto and New York and plans services to Manchester, Jeddah and Guangzhou. In Africa, new destinations including Libreville, Conakry, Bamako and Douala are expected in August.
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