TAM has reduced Rio-London to thrice weekly for the winter so it's not a gold mine just yet, even LHR-China direct is not that big, or I understand that profitable yet.
Well, that I suppose is why they call them
emerging markets, as they are indeed just that!
It was the lack of VS on PVG that prompted the post (iirc, the route was launced around 06, not sure when it stopped?).
I think there is an easy expectancy that these routes can only show growth, but obviously not always the case.