Brazilian low-cost carrier GOL Linhas Aéreas has named André Fehlauer as its new chief executive, after current chief executive Celso Ferrer agreed to leave the airline to become Boeing's president for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Ferrer will step down from GOL on August 31, 2026, and is due to join Boeing on September 4. Fehlauer will take over as CEO in September, while current chief operating officer Albert Perez will assume the expanded role of president and COO.
Fehlauer is returning to GOL after previously spending eight years with the company's Smiles loyalty business in Argentina and Brazil. He most recently served as chief executive of Livelo, a Brazilian loyalty program, and previously held positions at Citi and Credicard. Perez joined GOL in early 2024 after more than two decades in aviation, including leadership roles at Avianca, JetSMART and Vueling, and has been credited with helping improve the airline's operational performance.
Ferrer has led GOL since 2022 and has spent more than 20 years with the carrier, joining in 2004. During his tenure as chief executive he oversaw a restructuring of the company, steered it through its 2024 Chapter 11 bankruptcy process, and guided its integration into the Abra Group. Abra Group chief executive Adrian Neuhauser said Ferrer had “played a pivotal role in guiding GOL through a transformative period and positioning the airline for its next phase of growth,” and pointed to Fehlauer's previous experience with the company and Perez's operational background as support for GOL's next phase.
The leadership change lands as GOL pursues an ambitious international expansion under Abra Group ownership. The airline is set to receive the first of five Airbus A330-900neos from lessor Avolon by the end of the year, aircraft that will underpin its long-haul ambitions. GOL launched its first major international route to New York from Rio de Janeiro earlier this year, initially operated by Wamos Air until the A330neos arrive, and plans to start flights between Rio and Lisbon in September, with Orlando and Paris targeted by the end of the year.
For Boeing, recruiting Ferrer adds a regional leader with deep operational and piloting experience. According to GOL, Ferrer is a certified pilot on the Boeing 737-700, 737-800 and 737 MAX, having risen through the airline after joining as an intern. Boeing said he will be responsible for strengthening the manufacturer's operations, strategy and presence across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The dual announcement underscores how closely GOL's fortunes are tied to Boeing, whose 737 family forms the backbone of the carrier's fleet, even as the airline moves toward Airbus widebodies for its long-haul network. With Fehlauer and Perez stepping into their new roles in September, GOL is signalling continuity in its growth strategy while its outgoing chief executive takes his experience to one of its most important partners.
Sources: FlightGlobal, AeroTime. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Elena Vargas.
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