By Gabriel Araujo and Luciana Magalhaes
SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO, March 6 (Reuters) - Brazilian airline Gol is set to turn Rio de Janeiro's Galeao international airport into its hub for the new Airbus A330-900 aircraft entering the fleet, Gol Chief Executive announced on Friday.
Until now, Gol has operated exclusively with Boeing 737 aircraft.
The new aircraft addition will be followed by the implementation of a new direct route between Rio and New York starting in July, Gol's CEO Celso Ferrer said
at an event in Galeao alongside Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
"The union between two key tourism and business hubs in South and North America opens up a range of options and opportunities for customers across the continent," the firm said in a statement released later.
The airline is initially receiving five A330-900s, which are wide-body aircraft with approximately 300 seats capable of flying routes of up to 15 hours.
The planes will be gradually incorporated into the company's fleet between 2026 and 2027.
Reuters reported earlier in the day, citing sources, that Gol would announce Galeao airport as the hub for its new Airbus A330-900.
Gol is also set to offer direct flights from Rio to Paris and Lisbon starting late this year, Ferrer said.
One of the sources said earlier Gol has sought slots in several major European cities, including Porto and London, though not all will necessarily become destinations.
(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo and Luciana Magalhaes in Sao Paulo, Rodrigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro; Editing by Deepa Babington)
