With Recife-Lagos route, Gol could join Ethiopian in exploring under-served Brazil-Africa market

Lagos-Recife and Lome-Rio de Janeiro are risky routes to launch but if successful they could usher in a new era for the under-served Brazil-Africa market. There is huge potential for new services linking Latin America and Africa but airlines from both sides will need to offer a multitude of connection options and have the right partnerships in place for pioneering routes to succeed.

Direct links between Latin America and Africa have traditionally been limited. But the Brazil-Africa market is poised for rapid growth, particularly as the Brazilian government promotes more trade with Africa.

Several carriers, including Ethiopian Airlines and Brazil's Gol, are eager to tap into the growing demand. Ethiopian is launching three weekly flights to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo via Lome on 1-Jul-2013. Gol aims to launch three weekly flights from Recife in northeast Brazil to Lagos in Nigeria by the end of 2013.