Jaunted

Can the Brazilian market accommodate a third airline?

TAM and Gol depend on a system of routes based on the "hub and spoke" system centered on the cities of São Paulo, Brasília e Rio de Janeiro. ... In this way, they subject passengers to connections or lengthy routes that often don't make sense. A good portion of their customers are forced to make long, inconvenient journeys to fly between many Brazilian cities.

Our intention is to offer convenient, non-stop services to stimulate traffic. Smaller aircraft than those of our competitors allow more frequencies. Our vision eliminates the inconvenience factor.

What are the differences between the Brazilian and US markets?

In Brazil, 150 million people travel on interstate bus lines each year. We believe that number translates to a great market potential to be exploited, not just for us but also for Gol and TAM.

In the US, business travelers can complete a round trip in just one day. In Brazil, thanks to frequencies and connections friendly only to the airlines, many times that's not possible... We'll offer more non-stop routes between cities that aren't yet connected in that way.

Will you adopt the same business model as JetBlue?

We'll adopt basic principles because they're universal, not just American. ... With the use of high technology in all areas of the business, we'll enable a bit of self-service. That will lead to a reduction of costs, increases in efficiency and delivery of a high-quality product.

Will there be two classes of service?

Every seat on our planes will offer more space and comfort than any other competitor currently in Brazil. With four seats per row, arranged 2 by 2 (without a middle seat), we're practically offering business-class comfort at economy prices.

What will the on-board service be like?

The service will be better than what is offered in Brazil today. To start, we offer more personal space: In terms of seat pitch, ours is 31 inches, two more than on most planes in service in Brazil. ...

All the seats will be leather. In the snacks department, we offer a generous range of options so that passengers can choose what they want most, picked out of nice baskets carried through the cabin by the crew.

Will you offer hot meals?

Probably not. But the public will ultimately decide by telling us what they want to have on board our planes. But one thing is for sure: They won't starve.

As on JetBlue, will you offer live TV on personal screens?

Yes, our intention is to offer live TV on screens at every seat. I founded and am still involved with the company that leads the way on this technology, LiveTV. We will be the first to offer live TV on all our flights in South America. Passengers will be able to watch soccer matches and soap operas at 36,000 feet.

Do you have plans to fly international routes?

It's in our plans three or four years from now, certainly after we solidly establish our presence in the domestic market. Once that happens, we'll likely add service to destinations in other South American countries.

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