In an initial project in 2010 TRIP Linhas Aéreas, the largest regional airline in South America, and Lufthansa Consulting worked together on network optimisation and fleet plan validation. Now, TRIP has decided to extend its partnership with the German aviation consultancy by benefiting from their successful ‘Rent-a-plan’ product.

‘Rent-a-plan’ improves the reliability and speed of network planning and scheduling activities for small and medium-sized carriers without adding further overhead costs. Fleet and network planning units, which have to use different databases and systems, incur expenses for most airlines. Lufthansa Consulting’s targeted service ‘Rent-a-plan’ provides a one-stop-shop solution for data, tools and expertise, tailor-made for airlines to save on cost without compromising the reliability of the planning.

They benefit from advanced network planning instead of extending ‘in-house’ resources and investing additional funds for an uncertain outcome. Lufthansa Consulting’s dedicated personnel support the entire project, including fleet planning, network planning and scheduling, according to a predefined time plan.

The objective of the assignment is to apply TRIP’s niche strategy to increase its impact in the growing Brazilian market. The main recommended actions are to boost the airline’s existing monopoly routes, build new connections in designated hubs, launch new non-stop routes between unconnected cities and open new destinations.Following these guidelines, TRIP expects to generate a considerable additional profit per year.

TRIP Linhas Aéreas was established in 1998 and is based in Campinas, Sao Paulo. The airline offers scheduled passenger and cargo services and operates a fleet of over 50 aircraft, serving more than 80 destinations throughout Brazil. In 2011, TRIP transported around two million passengers.