What is Varig Brazilian Airlines?
{{Infobox Airline |airline=VARIG |logo=File:Logo varig.jpg |logo_size=250 |fleet_size= |IATA=RG |ICAO=VRG |callsign=VARIG |founded=1927 |ceased=July 2006 |headquarters=[[Porto Alegre]] |hubs=[[Rio de Janeiro]] |website= }} [[File:PP-VTT Boeing 757 Varig Brasil (7378990258).jpg|thumbnail|left|A Varig [[Boeing 757]] at [[Brasília]].]] '''Varig Brazilian Airlines''', also known as ''VARIG'', was once the largest [[airline]] of [[Brazil]]. The airline declared [[bankruptcy]] in 2006. The successor to Varig is [[Gol Transportes Aéreos]], which is technically the ''new Varig''. ==History== Varig began on May 7, 1927. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/623473/Varig|title=Varig|work=Encyclopedia Britannica|accessdate=16 May 2015}}</ref> It was founded by German emigrants in Brazil. Varig began non-stop flights between [[New York City]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]] in 1955. The airline took over many international destinations in the 1960s from bankrupt [[Panair do Brasil]], such as [[Frankfurt]], [[Lisbon]] and [[Paris]]. Varig eventually became the largest airline in all of [[South America]], after it bought many other smaller Brazilian airlines. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.varig-airlines.com/en/site05_empresa.htm|title=::: - VARIG - ::: English|work=varig-airlines.com|accessdate=16 May 2015}}</ref> In 1997, Varig became the first airline to join [[Star Alliance]]. In 2001, [[TAM Airlines]] became the largest airline in Brazil. Then, Varig stopped flying, and it became known as another airline in 2007. ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:1927 establishments in South America]] [[Category:2006 disestablishments]] [[Category:Airlines of Brazil]] [[Category:1920s establishments in Brazil]] [[Category:Disestablishments in Brazil]] {{transport-stub}}