Azul and Gol shares rose sharply on Thursday, following the announcement of a proposed merger between the two Brazilian airlines. Azul’s stock price rose by more than 4%, while Gol’s shares jumped by about 8%.

Brazilian carrier Azul SA and the principal shareholder for rival Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA reached an agreement to work toward a merger, potentially creating one of the largest airlines in Latin America.

Abra Group and Brazilian carrier Azul have entered a memorandum of understanding to explore a combination that would create Brazil's largest airline via a tie-up with Gol.

Brazil airlines Azul and GOL are set for merger talks which could create the dominant player in aviation in the country. They signed a MoU after getting tentative approval from Brazilian President Lula da Silva. The plan is to combine the businesses of Azul and GOL parent Abra. It would give the new business a 60% share of the aviation market.

Abra—which also controls Colombia’s flag carrier Avianca—and Azul concluded the two Brazilian airlines have 90% complimentary and non-overlapping routes. Last year, amid reports that Azul was interested in merging with its rival GOL, the airlines launched a domestic codeshare.

Abra Group (the majority investor of Gol and Avianca) and Azul signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today with the intent to explore a combination of their

Azul and Gol , two of Brazil's largest airlines, are moving a step closer to a sweeping merger that would create a dominant carrier in Latin America's No. 1 economy, a securities filing showed on Wednesday.