Latam president Jerome Cadier said he is concerned about the airline sector's reputation in Brazil.
The image crisis has emerged in the wake of the Avianca's bankruptcy filing. Brazil's largest airlines, Azul, Latam, and Gol, are interested in acquiring the remains of the company, which include aircraft, employees and coveted flight routes like the Congonhas Rio-São Paulo shuttle route.
In an interview with Folha last week, Azul president John Rodgerson said that Latam and Gol teamed up to end Avianca and prevent Azul from entering the air bridge.
They are statements that Rodgerson cannot prove, according to Cadier, and tarnish the image of an industry that should always inspire security.
"Everything he said is based on lies, he leads the whole industry to discredit, it seems that it is a sector that is not serious, that has no rules," Cadier said.
The president of Latam believes that Azul wants to take over the remains of Avianca without paying, or paying as little as possible and accuses the competitor of putting up a smoke screen in saying that Latam and Gol are preventing them from operating the lucrative shuttle service.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon