Azul to Operate Belo Horizonte-Curacao, Florida Flights

DALLAS — Azul Linhas Aéreas (AD) has announced its plans to fly to Curaçao International Airport (CUR), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), and Orlando International Airport (MCO) in the United States.

The Brazilian carrier will launch nonstop flights between Belo Horizonte and Curacao, with the first flight scheduled to take off on June 24, 2023. Flights to the Caribbean will be operated once weekly, with the flight from Belo Horizonte on Saturdays and the return flight from Curacao on Sundays.

“The decision to stay active in the Brazilian market was surely a good decision. We can say that this new direct flight will certainly produce a good result for the Brazilian market. Besides, this Azul flight will also provide more travel connections for our local people.”

Ruisandro Cijntje, Curacao’s Minister of Economic Development

Azul's flight to Curaçao will become Belo Horizonte’s sole route to the Caribbean over the coming months.

Flights to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando

Moreover, Azul will also reinstate flights from Belo Horizonte to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando over the coming months, with the FLL flights beginning in the first half of 2023 and the MCO flights beginning in the second half.

Azul will operate three weekly flights to Fort Lauderdale, with twice-weekly flights to Orlando coming later in the year. Flights to Curaçao will most likely be operated by Airbus A320neo aircraft, while flights to the United States will be operated by either Airbus A330-200 or A330neo aircraft.

The Brazilian carrier's director of institutional and airport relations, Fábio Campos, said the airline was reinstating international flying from the Brazilian city in a move to attract more passengers.

“Fort Lauderdale and Orlando are already existing destinations in Azul's network on flights departing from other airports, such as São Paulo Viracopos, Belém, Manaus and Recife. We believe in the potential of the Minas Gerais market and, we are also betting on the success of the flight to Curaçao, a novelty in the Azul network.”

Fábio Campos, Azul's Director of Institutional and Airport Relations

Brief Route History

Azul has served both US destinations from Belo Horizonte in the past. However, while MCO was a route that operated year-round from December 2017 through March 2020, flights to FLL launched in December 2019, running only for a few weeks until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The director of operations and infrastructure at Belo Horizonte International Airport (CNF), Herlichy Bastos, expressed his strong desire for these routes to be successful, saying, "We have a high demand for flights, especially international ones, and we are always in contact with airlines. Today is a day of celebration for the announcement of the flight to Curaçao and the return of flights to the United States.”

Feature Image: PR-YSH Azul Airbus A320-251N SBBR BSB. Photo: Thiago Machado/Airways