Hapag-Lloyd market was planned in 2004. As part of that process, its business units other than the container line and cruise line were planned for divestiture. In 2008 TUI announced an intention to sell its entire stake in Hapag-Lloyd shipping activities before the end of that year. Industry speculation predicted a sale price of approximately $US5.9 billion. Hapag-Lloyd founded the charter airline Hapag-Lloyd Flug in 1972, buying a few Boeing 727s to fly its cruise passengers from Germany to the cruises' ports of call. The airline eventually added some regular passenger flights as well. Hapag-Lloyd Flug used the IATA code HF
Aero Geral beyond Rio de Janeiro until Natal and could better face competition with Panair do Brasil and Cruzeiro do Sul. Aero Geral Aero Geral Ltda was a Brazilian airline founded in 1941. It was bought and merged into Varig in 1952. Aero Geral Ltda was founded in 1941 in the Amazon region and started flying with a single Monocoupe 90A in February 1942. However, due to technical difficulties, it was grounded in 1944 and became operational again only in January 1947. In 1947, Edgar James McLaren, a former pilot of Panair do Brasil planned to start regular services in the Amazon