Air Lituanica (Vilnius International (VNO)) is a new Lithuanian niche carrier that is planning to begin flights to Brussels National Zaventem (BRU), Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) and Berlin from July 1. Speaking at the Routes Europe conference, Chief Commercial Officer, Simonas Bartkus, said flights will begin once its first EMB-170 leased from Estonian Air (OV, Tallinn Ülemiste (TLL))) and ex-TRIP Linhas Aéreas (T4, Campinas Viracopos (VCP)) EMB-175 (c/n 17000017) (from lessor ECC Leasing) are delivered, with plans to add Munich Franz Josef Strauss International (MUC), Prague Vaclav Havel Ruzyne (PRG) and Moscow Sheremetyevo International (SVO) thereafter. In the long term, Air Lituanica, using a fleet of 5 aircraft, plans to connecting Vilnius International (VNO) with points in western Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and the CIS with small jets on high frequency rotations and with a two-class product to attract corporate traffic. Potential plans may include using smaller aircraft orders to serve thin business routes, especially to Scandinavia, Lithuania’s biggest trading partner. Bartkus said the airline is keen to partner airlines not currently represented in Lithuania’s market, such as Air France (AF, Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)), Air Berlin (AB, Berlin Tegel (TXL)), CSA Czech Airlines (OK, Prague Vaclav Havel Ruzyne (PRG)) and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)) while Air Lituanica’s shareholders are likely to be open to the idea of investment from a bigger partner in the carrier in future.

AeroMéxico Connect (5D, Monterrey General Mariano Escobedo International (MTY)) is planning to introduce EMB-175s for its domestic services on behalf of parent AeroMéxico (AM, México City Benito Juárez International (MEX)). It plans to add several ex-TRIP Linhas Aéreas (T4, Campinas Viracopos (VCP)) aircraft with operations scheduled to start from May 1 on routes from México City Benito Juárez International (MEX) to Aguascalientes Licenciado Jesús Terán Peredo International (AGU), Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo International (ZIH), Minatitlán Coatzacoalcos National (MTT), Oaxaca Xoxocotlán International (OAX), Poza Rica El Tajín National (PAZ), San Luis Potosí Ponciano Arriaga International (SLP), Tampico General Francisco Javier Mina International (TAM), Veracruz General Heriberto Jara International (VER) and Zacatecas General Leobardo C. Ruiz International (ZCL). The aircraft will likely replace smaller ERJ-145s that the carrier has started retiring. It currently operates 19 EMB-190s, three EMB-170s and 35 ERJ-145s.

TRIP Linhas Aéreas (T4, Campinas Viracopos (VCP)) retired the last of its nine-strong fleet of EMB-175s at the end of March. The move comes ahead of a planned merger with Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras (AD, Campinas Viracopos (VCP)). Press reports state that Azul had decided not to keep the aircraft in the fleet any longer to concentrate on larger and more economical EMB-190 and EMB-195 jets. On March 6, Brazilian authorities gave their final approval for the merger expected to be fully completed by June.

TRIP Linhas Aéreas (T4, Campinas Viracopos (VCP)) has retired its remaining ATR42-300 and ATR72-200 older generation turboprops and now just operates 10 ATR42-500s, 14 ATR72-500s and 6 ATR72-600s in its ATR fleet. TRIP already operates all of its flights under Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras (AD, Campinas Viracopos (VCP)) flight numbers ahead of a full integration into Azul following the merger of the two carriers.

Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras (AD, Campinas Viracopos (VCP)) and TRIP Linhas Aéreas (T4, Campinas Viracopos (VCP)) have been authorized to fully merge by Brazil's antitrust authority Cade that has however set certain conditions for its approval of the transaction. The two carriers that already sell all of their flights through Azul's website using Azul's AD code will need to continue to use at least 85% of their slots at Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SDU) and the codeshare agreement TAM Linhas Aéreas (JJ, São Paulo Congonhas International (CGH)) has with TRIP needs to ended by 2014 at the latest.