TAM Airlines is doubling its direct overnight non-stop services to-and-from London Heathrow and Rio de Janeiro from three flights a week to six.The new Rio services start on August 2nd 2011 and compliment TAM’s existing daily overnight Boeing 777 service between London and São Paulo, adding much needed seat and cargo capacity between the UK and South America.

TAM first introduced a direct Rio de Janeiro-London service in August 2010 and demand for extra flights has been driven in each direction by both leisure and business traffic.There are strong business links between the UK and Brazil, especially among the oil and gas industry, the banking and finance sectors, and creative industries.London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016) are also the next two Summer Olympic Games host cities, and Brazil will stage the FIFA World Cup in 2014.At London Heathrow’s Terminal 1, TAM passengers can connect with the flights of its Star Alliance partners, including bmi, that offer a seamless connecting service to many locations in Britain, Ireland and the rest of Europe, as well as Asia.The Star Alliance is the largest alliance operating out of the core Central Area at Heathrow.