Jungastiana (airline)

Linha Aérea Intercontinental Jungastiana (LAIJ) (: Jungastian Intercontinental Air Line') is the airline of Jungastia. Commonly known by its initials LAIJ or as Jungastiana, the airline is dominant in its home market, as well as operating one of the largest route networks globally. The airline is owned indirectly by the Jungastian government, through the 75% holding of shares by the Jungastian Sovereign Wealth Fund. The remaining shares are traded publicly on the Bolsa de Valores de Santo André. LAIJ is a member of Aerounion, one of the largest airline alliances in the world. The Airline also is one of the members of the Plano de Compensação Aérea, a unique setup for the busy air bridge flights between Agrana y Griegro and Boaga across the mouth of the Eurybian which enables passengers to board any flight on any participating airline.

LAIJ has its home base at Aeroporto Internacional de Santo André, where it controls almost 60% of all slots, as well as having a dedicated terminal. The Airline also has hub presence at Aeroporto de Paços de Brandão as well a significant operations at Aeroporto Cidade Santo André. Secondary hubs are spread globally, with significant focus on Sátão and Cidade Baptista forming an integral part of LAIJ's vast trans-Iapetus network - benefitting from Jungastia's convenient interchange location and its strategic overseas holdings and relationships. Focus cities of La Héve, Chezzetcook, Corae Mero-Curgovina, Yenbai, Heiban and São Vicente, Encarnação - the latter two where LAIJ benefits from fifth freedom traffic rights - are significant parts of LAIJ's vast global route network.

History
The roots of LAIJ lie in the nationalisation and merging of the three main northern air carriers in the early 1920s. Transporte e Viagens de Aeronaves (TVA), Navegação Aérea Jungastiana (NAJ), and Viação Aérea Santo André (VASA) were all competing on similar routes along Jungastia's populated North coast and its Eurybian Islands. With the change in the political landscape, the government took a stronger involvement in managing air traffic, and nationalised and merged of the three air services in 1923. Much as it had done with forming LAIJ, the government also merged the burgeoning Air Mail carriers into Aeropostal creating a powerful duopoly that maintains to this day

The first flight under the LAIJ name took place on 25 August 1922, flying from Santo Andre to Monte Real, Agrana y Greigro and making its first truly intercontinental flight. By October of 1922 LAIJ was flying three times a week to Monte Real, marking the first scheduled intercontinental flight globally.

LAIJ benefited from a favoured position of the Duopoly, being seen as a standard bearer for the country, and a major source of prestige for the regime. The routes it operated grew to longer and further destinations, enabled by the close working relationship between Empresa de Fabricação Aeronáutica - now Grupo Fabraer - in developing new technologies.

As the airline industry across the world grew, LAIJ in its privileged position, undertook an agressive period of expansion focussing on creating a route network covering all corners of the globe and utilising the strategic positioning of the Jungastian colonial possessions to allow it to operate routes unrivalled by its competitors. The arrival of larger planes, capable of flying greater distances saw LAIJ grow its share not only of national, but international passenger levels.

The 1940s saw LAIJ introduce long-range pressurised planes, allowing the number of stops on trans-oceanic flights to drop dramatically.

Cabin
LAIJ operates with four main cabin classes for key international long haul routes, Primeira, Executiva, Viajante Plus and Viajante. Short haul international flights and leisure focused long haul operate with a three class service level, Executiva, Viajante Plus and Viajante.

Domestically LAIJ operates a two or three class service of Executiva Doméstica, Viajante Plus and Viajante. In addition Flagship or Carro-Chefe short haul flights operate with an exclusively Business Class service

All cabins on long haul and short haul jet aircraft have audio-video on-demand, and the addition of WiFi on all planes has been completed as of 22nd January 2022.