BUENOS Aires: March 04, 2019. Azul Linhas Aéreas, the Brazilian airline, has appointed Globe Air Cargo (GAC) Argentina, a member of the ECS Group, as its GSSA in the country.

GAC Argentina says it plans to expand the cargo activities of Brazil’s third-largest airline by opening up destinations that are currently passenger-only from Buenos Aires and subsequently Cordoba and Rosario.

From Buenos Aires, new markets include Belo Horizonte and Campinas in Brazil as well as Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in the US and Lisbon, Oporto and Paris in Europe.

Azul is the largest operator in Brazil by the number of destinations served and currently operates 821 daily flights to 110 destinations with a fleet that includes A330s, A320s, and EM190/195s.

"Azul ended 2018 with a fleet of 20 A320neo aircraft, which provide significant revenue uplift to all parts of our business [as] our Azul Cargo business fills up the extra belly space,” commented Azul CEO John Rodgerson.

Combined with ECS Group’s global network, GAC Argentina says it is in the “perfect position” to develop the group’s business in Latin America.

“We are extremely proud to have been chosen as GSSA by Azul Linhas Aéreas. We have full confidence in this airline and in the opportunities for rapid development in the Argentinian market. Increased trade between Argentina and Brazil will also contribute to Azul’s growth in this market,” declared GAC Argentina managing director Alejandro Doldi.

According to Amsterdam-based air cargo analyst WorldACD, the global GSA sector grew 5.2 percent in January compared to the same month in 2018. The two dominant groups, ECS and WFC, representing around 30 percent of the total volume, together grew by 3.7 percent year-on-year.