Varig Virtual is based on the largest airline in South America and the primary international airline of Brazil. Varig Virtual also includes the operations of Varig's regional affiliates, Nordeste and Rio-Sul. Varig Virtual is based primarily on schedules from the winter 1997/98 timetable.

Varig Brazilian Airlines (Viaçao Aérea Rio-Grandense) was founded in 1927 by Otto Ernst Meyer with the technical assistance of Lufthansa. The first flight was on the route Port Alegre-Pelotas-Rio Grande flown with a Dornier Wal flying boat, and later early flights were also flown with German aircraft. The airline's first employee, Ruben Berta, presided over Varig's expansion from 1941 until his death in 1966. Varig began its first international service in 1942 to Montevideo, and began transatlantic service in 1965. 

The airline became the largest in South America through the acquisitions of the REAL consortium in 1961 and Cruzeiro do Sul in 1975. Today Varig has near-full ownership of regional partners Nordeste and Rio Sul, as well as a 49% ownership stake in Uruguyan national carrier Pluna. Varig joined Star Alliance in 1997, the same year it was founded. Following a bankruptcy reorganization that began in 2005, the airline was sold in an auction and had its route network and fleet severely reduced.

Nordeste Linhas Aéreas Regionais and Rio Sul Serviços Aéreos Regionais were both founded in 1976, when the Brazilian Ministry of Aeronautics offered airlines the opportunity to start regional airline operations in Brazil. Rio Sul was originally founded with Varig support, but Nordeste was associated with TransBrasil.

Headquarters: Varig - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Nordeste - Salvador, Brazil; Rio Sul - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Virtual Airline Operating Since: January 2006
Unique Aircraft Types: 747-300/300M
Number of Destinations: 141
Unique Destinations (81): Alta Floresta, Altamira, Aracaju, Araguaina, Barreiras, Belo Horizonte Pampulha, Boa Vista, Bom Jesus da Lapa, Campina Grande, Campo Grande, Campos, Carajas, Cascavel, Caxias do Sul, Chapeco, Criciuma, Cruzeiro do Sul, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Divinopolis, Fernando de Noronha, Florianopolis, Foz do Iguacu, Golania, Governador Valadares, Guanambi, Ilheus, Imperatriz, Ipatinga, Iquitos, Itabuna, Itaituba, Joao Pessoa, Joinville, Juazeiro do Norte, Juiz de Fora, Lages, Livramento, Londrina, Macapa, Macae, Maceio, Maraba, Maringa, Monte Dourado, Montes Claroes, Natal, Navegantes, Parnaiba, Passo Fundo, Pelotas, Petrolina, Ponta Grossa, Porto Alegre, Porto Seguro, Porto Velho, Pouso Alegre, Ribeirao Preto, Rio Branco, Rio de Janeiro Santos-Dumont, Rio Grande, Rosario, Salvador, Santa Maria (Rio Grande do Sul) Santarem, Santo Angelo, San Jose do Rio Preto, Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Luis, Sao Paulo Congonhas, Sinop, Tabatinga, Tefe, Teixeira de Freitas, Teresina, Toledo (Parana), Trombetas, Uberaba, Uberlandia, Uruguaiana, Vitoria, Vitoria da Conquista