The Brazilian startup ITA Transportes Aéreos has just printed its new yellow livery on its first aircraft. This new carrier is rallying up for its debut, which is set to happen as soon as possible.
The brand new aircraft
ITA Transportes Aéreos is set to have an Airbus A320 fleet. The first aircraft it received has the registration PS-SPJ. It is 15 years old, and it previously flew with Vueling and Spanair, in Spain.
This aircraft arrived in Brazil on February 19. It flew from Ciudad Real, Spain, to Natal, Brazil, passing through Bergen (Norway), Reykjavík (Iceland), Bangor, and Kansas (US).
ITA Transportes Aéreos held a live video on Instagram showing the landing of its first aircraft.
According to RadarBox.com, PS-SPJ last flew on February 24 from Natal to Sao Jose Dos Campos.
There, the Airbus A320 received its brand new colors. ITA showed the process in a video posted on Facebook.
The aircraft now shows the yellow and black livery of the Brazilian transport company Itapemirim.
Where does ITA come from?
ITA Transportes Aéreos is the latest itteration of Itapemirim Transportes Aereos, a Brazilian airline that was founded in 1990. It ceased operations in 2000 when TAM acquired it.
The first Itapemirim had a fleet of up to eight aircraft. It had four Boeing 727-100F, two Boeing 727-200F, and two Cessna 208B Grand Caravan.
Last year, Itapemirim Group, the largest bus company in Brazil, invested US$500 million to set up its new airline.
They set up the new airline by traveling to Abu Dhabi and getting a sovereign wealth fund to provide the investment. Slowly but surely, everything has come to pieces for ITA in the last few months. The airline will have a fleet of 10 Airbus A320 to start its commercial flights. The plan long-term is to increase it to 50 planes.
Another aircraft, registration OE-IKJ is supposed to arrive shortly. Nevertheless, the plane is currently parked in Kansas City, according to RadarBox.com.
When ITA’s first aircraft landed in Brazil, the company said,
“It is with great pride that Itapemirim shares this historic achievement of Brazilian aviation with all of you. We’ve put all our love and dedication into connecting people to new experiences. The arrival of our first aircraft, an Airbus A320, is the result of the commitment of an entire team.”
How’s ITA going to fit in the Brazilian market?
Three carriers currently dominate the Brazilian aviation market. GOL, LATAM Brazil, and Azul hold 99% of the domestic market share in the country. ITA Transportes Aéreos will try to make its way into the country.
Fortunately for ITA, there’s room for more players in Brazil. This week, LATAM’s CEO, Roberto Alvo, discussed the Brazilian aviation market during an interview at CAPA’s monthly webinar. When asked if there was enough market in the country for all the carriers, he said,
“I believe so. Three players in a market such as Brazil can work very well. I think that we have two of the most challenging competitors in terms of that they’re really good competing with us in Brazil.”
Brazil has one of the most underdeveloped markets in the world. The trips per capita in this country are less than 0.5. Plus, many cities are underserved. For instance, Azul operates on its own on 80% of its routes, so there’s definitely room for new competition.
Are you excited about ITA’s future? What do you think of the colors? Let us know in the comments.
