One more holiday season where Brazilian travellers get the shaft.

GOL Linhas Aéreas shuts down Webjet



Just in time to guarantee that the impending "Air Chaos" that has become traditional during the holiday season every year in Brazil will be even worse Gol has announced that it is shutting down operations of Webjet and putting 850 employees out of work. Merry Christmas boys and girls, you're fired!!! What a Hell of a Christmas present that was.

Webjet, one of very few low-fare airlines operating in Brazil was bought out by Gol in October 2011 for R$70 million and the assuming of the company's R$200 million debt. You can be sure that Gol bought out the airline in order to further choke off any competition and did so with the clear intention to quickly close it down no matter what they may say to the contrary. ANAC Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency probably knew that too, or at the very least they damn well should have when they allowed the buy-out. But what do they care? They consistently demonstrate their complete incompetence in regulating this vital industry and should be disbanded completely. They serve no useful purpose since they give the established airlines free rein anyway.

While they could with full authority order Gol to continue operation of the airline until at least after the Christmas/New Year holiday season to limit the negative impact on both the travelling public and the 850 workers who will be idled don't expect that to happen. They couldn't care less.

It's just too bad that the country's bus companies don't operate the airlines, they'd be run with the precision of a finely tuned Swiss watch and the fares would be reasonable.

Merry Christmas travellers! Make sure you stock up on tranquilizers before heading off to the airport this year too.

Cheers,
William James Woodward - Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team