GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes was founded in 2000 by Constantino de Oliveira Júnior, whose family ran one of Brazil's largest bus companies. Flights began in January 2001 with a handful of Boeing 737s. GOL was Brazil's first true low-cost carrier, a no-frills airline built on cheap seats. It used aggressive fares, flew its planes more hours each day, and sold tickets online early.
That opened flying to millions in a country where it had been a luxury. GOL grew explosively and listed shares in São Paulo and New York in 2004. In 2007 it bought what was left of Varig, the storied flag carrier, taking its brand and Smiles program. GOL built ties abroad, most notably a codeshare and equity deal with American Airlines. Codeshare partners sell seats on each other's flights.
GOL became one of Brazil's two dominant domestic airlines, in a duopoly with LATAM Brasil. Earlier links included Delta and Air France-KLM. It was an early Latin American user of the Boeing 737 MAX. Heavy debt and the pandemic forced a US Chapter 11 filing in January 2024. It emerged in 2025 under the Abra Group, shared with Avianca, and still carries tens of millions of passengers a year.