Avianca Brasil, currently known as a Brazilian airline Ocean Air Linhas Aéreas S/A, headquartered in São Paulo, will exit Star Alliance effective 1 September, 2019.

Such move is made in light of several months of bankruptcy protection and the withdrawal of its Air Operator Certificate by ANAC, a Brazilian regulator.

The airline joined the alliance in 2015 and significantly contributed to better connections to and from Brasil. However, in the statement  Start Alliance stressed that “the exit of Avianca Brasil in no way affects the membership of Avianca S.A.”, a Colombian airline.

Now direct services to and from Brasil are offered by 11 airlines of the Alliance: Air Canada, Avianca, Air China, Copa Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, South African Airways, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines and United.

After Avianca Brasil exits Star Alliance, it will leave the Alliance with 27 members.