On this day 98 years ago, on July 15, 1927 (June 17, 1927 lunar calendar), Brazilian Airlines (VARIG) officially set sail. On July 15, 1927, Brazilian Airlines (VARIG) officially set sail. On July 15, 1927, Brazilian Joglande Airlines began operations. It was the first airline in Brazil and was headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil. VARIG's first flight was from Porto Alegre to Rio Grande, with a transit in Pelotas. In 2006, VARIG Airlines went through bankruptcy reorganization and was acquired by its former subsidiary VarigLog at the time of auction for $24 million. In 2008, Gore Airlines announced that it would officially merge with Varig to form a unified airline, with Gore Air primarily focusing on short-haul routes, while Embraer operated long-haul routes.