The president of Gol Airlines claims that Brazilian aviation has stagnated and is competing with online betting.

The president of Gol Airlines, Celso Ferrer, stated that the aviation market in Brazil remains stagnant between 90 million and 100 million passengers. The company president declared this Wednesday (June 10th) that the sector faces competition from online betting and other forms of digital consumption for Brazilians' disposable income. The statements were made during the Lide Tourism Seminar without any basis or source for the information.

Economic sectors of society insist on the strategy of demonizing betting and creating the narrative that sports betting platforms are responsible for society's indebtedness and all the ills the country is going through. However, data released last Saturday contradicts the version presented by the president of Gol, Celso Ferrer.

“The sector has undergone a change in consumer behavior, with consumers losing 19% of their income in the last ten years, and this is reflected in the volume of passengers,” said Ferrer. The loss of purchasing power among the population represents one of the main obstacles to market expansion.

The executive outlined a historical overview of the sector. "There's this first wave in the 2000s, then there's the arrival of Azul, which comes to the regional market, grows more, and then we have what we call the lost decade in aviation, when Brazil reached 100 million passengers, from 2010 to 2020," he explains.

Ferrer detailed the period of stagnation. “Of course, 2020 is the year of the pandemic, but from 2010 to 2020, aviation remained hovering around 95, 100 million passengers. And when we look at that and see the effect it has on tourism, it's brutal.”

Aviation breaks passenger record.

Contrary to the narrative of stagnation, aviation in Brazil continues to break consecutive records, even with the price increases caused by the war in the Middle East. The first months of 2026 saw the highest number of passengers transported in history.

From January to April, there were 44,3 million passenger trips, with 33,7 million on domestic flights and 10,6 million on international flights. The total volume increased by 7,6% compared to the same period in 2025.

Brazilian aviation experienced its worst period of the century during the pandemic, starting in 2020, when there was a sharp and sudden drop in operations. In 2019, before the health crisis, 39,6 million passengers were transported from January to April. The 2026 result is 11,9% higher than that.

The competitive landscape has changed radically. "Today, we are competing with other forms of consumption, such as betting and online shopping . People are encouraged to pursue other, more priority forms of consumption," stated the president of Gol.

The sector recorded record passenger numbers last year. This growth does not represent an expansion of the consumer base. The same people are traveling more frequently. The middle and lower-middle classes remain outside the market.

Revenue that could be allocated to tourism is being directed towards online gambling and digital consumption. Airlines are maintaining fares between US$40 and US$100. These prices have been in place for some time.

The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) announced on April 6 that it had eliminated the PIS (Social Integration Program) and Cofins (Contribution to Social Security Financing) taxes on aviation fuel (QAV) in an attempt to curb rising airfares.

Initially, the measure was valid until May 31st, but it was extended and will now last until July 31st. ABEAR (Brazilian Association of Airline Companies) is requesting that the exemption remain in place until the end of the year.

Petrobras reduced the price of aviation kerosene by 14,2% per liter starting June 1st. It is expected that the sector will see some relief in the coming months with this measure and with the easing of the conflict, resulting in a consequent drop in oil prices.

“The problem isn’t the fare, it’s the loss of income for Brazilians and the competition with other forms of consumption,” said Ferrer. Maintaining affordable prices hasn’t been enough to attract new passengers.

The executive presented perspectives for future growth. “From now on, the next wave of aviation growth must come with a policy of tax relief, both nationally and at the state level. We have the capacity to grow the number of passengers in Brazil by up to 50%,” declared Ferrer. He advocated for tax reductions at the federal and state levels as a condition for market expansion.