The United States Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York has approved Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras’ Chapter 11 reorganisation plan after receiving “overwhelming support from all voting creditors,” said the company in a notice to the market on Friday, December 12.
The carrier filed its plan in September. It involved eliminating over USD2 billion in debt and offering up to USD950 million in new equity, with USD650 million underwritten by backstop creditors and up to USD300 million expected from strategic partners such as United Airlines and American Airlines.
The decision of the court to greenlight the plan “reinforces the overall consistency of the proposed restructuring, enabling the company to advance to the next phases of implementation,” Azul said. It foresees emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the first quarter of 2026.
In recent months, Azul has completed other procedural steps, including negotiations with creditors and lessors, adjusting its fleet by rejecting older aircraft leases, dropping plans for potential orders, and slowing upcoming deliveries. The process has not been smooth, with the company’s top C-level management coming under scrutiny from Brazil’s securities and exchange commission for allegedly disclosing optimistic financial projections before filing for Chapter 11 in 2024.