GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes (G3, São Paulo Congonhas) is in talks with both ATR - Avions de Transport Régional (EVX, Toulouse Blagnac) and Bombardier Aerospace (BBA, Montréal Trudeau) over a possible turboprop order Bloomberg news reports. Quoting sources close to the carrier's operations, the news wire says the Brazilian low-cost carrier would use the aircraft to enhance its domestic network coverage ahead of the roll-out of a BRL1billion (USD443 million) state-subsidization plan.
The Regional Aviation Development Program (PDAR), which was signed into law last month, will subsidize carriers serving airports that handle up to one million passengers per annum while limited to 60 seats per flight. Subsidies will be used to offset fuel costs.
Given the finances involved, the PDAR has attracted much interest from the country's largest players - among them Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras (AD, São Paulo Viracopos) and TAM Linhas Aéreas (São Paulo Congonhas). Azul has said it could order up to fifty E195-E2s while TAM President, Marco Bologna, says their order with Embraer (EMB, São José dos Campos Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf) will include eighteen E2 E-Jets with options for an additional twelve of the type. Gol was also linked to a possible E-Jet order in September last year.
