Despite the registration of Azura Airways Corp. in
Connecticut, JetBlue founder David Neeleman does not intend to
launch a new airline, according to a spokeswoman for Brazilian carrier Azul,
where Neeleman is currently the chairman of the board.
A July 31 report on TravelWeekly.com said that Neeleman was working on a new airline.
"David doesn’t have plans to create another airline
company," Azul communications analyst Ligia Porto wrote in an email to Travel
Weekly on Wednesday. Neeleman also founded Azul and Canadian airline WestJet.
The spokeswoman did not immediately explain why Azura Airways has been
registered. Neeleman is listed in the Connecticut filing as a principal in the
company along with James Smith, a former American Airlines executive, and Azul
aircraft programs director Amir Nasruddin.
Neeleman stepped down as Azul’s CEO last week and was
replaced atop the discount airline by former CFO John Rodgerson. A company
press release didn't explain why Neeleman gave up the CEO post.
"I will continue to be just as intimately involved in
the day-to-day business and strategic decisions of Azul," Neeleman said in the
release.
Late last week, both the CAPA Centre for Aviation and
Airline Weekly reported that the Azura webpage was advertising for airline
employees. But the webpage, flyazura.com, had been taken down by Monday
morning.