The three first Convair CV-990 Coronados were ordered by Real Aerovias in 1960, but due to a delay in the delivery, they were received by VARIG only in 1963, when it already had bought Real. The PP-VJE, PP-VJF and PP-VJG were officially delivered on March 13, 1963 and operated initially in Rio - Los Angeles line. VARIG was the only airline in the world to operate simultaneously the three first generation Americans four-engine jets: Boeing 707, Douglas DC-8 and Convair 990.
VARIG's Convair 990 also operated to Europe and South America destinations: Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Lima, Bogota, Caracas, Asuncion, Panamá, Mexico, Miami, Rome, Milan, Madrid, Lisbon and Dakar.
PP-VJE was sold on april, 1967 and PP-VJF and PP-VJG were retired in 1971 and then sold.
A curious fact was that VARIG did not want to receive Convair 990. The order was made by Real airlines and VARIG had already selected Boeing 707 as international jet. VARIG's lawyers used a clause in the agreement between Real and Convair which guarantee that the aircraft could operate at maximum weight at Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo. VARIG would only accept the aircraft if it fulfilled that promise. So Convair brought CV-990A to Congonhas and loaded the aircraft with sandbags. Convair 990A was approved in all tests, forcing VARIG to accept the order.