Avianca Brasil, the bankrupt carrier that was forced by Brazil's
civil aviation authority to suspend operations in May, will formally exit the
Star Alliance on Sept. 1.
"Initially joining Star Alliance in 2015, Avianca
Brasil made important contributions to our customer proposition in the
Brazilian market, and we regret this unfortunate development," Star
Alliance CEO Jeffrey Goh said in a prepared statement Tuesday.
The departure of Avianca Brasil leaves the Star Alliance
with 27 airlines, including 11 that fly to Brazil. It does not affect the
membership status of the larger Avianca S.A., a Colombia-based carrier known simply
as Avianca, which is owned by the same holding company that ran Avianca Brasil.
Star Alliance member United codeshares with Brazilian
discount carrier Azul, which is not in the alliance. United owns 8% of Azul.