RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The air sector should operate at 80 percent of its capacity in December compared to the same month last year, in a pre-pandemic scenario.
The projection was presented by the National Secretary of Civil Aviation Ronei Glanzmann in a debate on the sector’s perspectives at the 2nd Infrastructure Sector Competitiveness Seminar, promoted by the Ministry of Infrastructure in partnership with the Dom Cabral Foundation, streamed online.
During the social isolation period caused by the pandemic, airlines reduced their activities by 93 percent, reaching 99 percent in the peak months of virus circulation and social isolation measures. The daily average of 2,500 flights dropped to about 200.
The Secretary said that the 80 percent capacity resumption of the airline sector in December is an important estimate. According to Glanzmann, the projection is for domestic flights only. “These are impressive numbers compared to other South American countries,” he said.
As for international flights, airlines are expected to operate at around 45 percent of the level recorded in December last year. “In the international market resumption is slower because we depend on other markets and we need opening,” he explained.
The Secretary said that Brazil has implemented measures to offset the losses, such as keeping the internal air space open and a period of 12 months for airline tickets to be reimbursed due to flights canceled by companies or by passengers during the most severe period of social isolation.
He said that the airlines have resumed flights, but that revenue still falls short of what companies expect. “The challenge is to recover revenue, which is still low, and we are monitoring the high season, and how it will proceed,” he said.
From December on, with the high season, the government expects an increase of travel within Brazil, particularly to destinations such as beaches in the Northeast and the South.
The second step of resumption, according to Glanzmann, should be sub-regional tourism, with routes between Brazilian cities and South American countries such as Argentina, Chile, and Colombia. “The hope is that there will be an increase both in the number of Brazilians flying to these countries and in the number of citizens coming here from these neighboring nations.”
Dany Oliveira, director of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for Brazil, said the organization has also made projections for Brazil. According to the organization, the country should reach pre-pandemic levels around March or April next year for domestic flights, and in 2022 for the international market.
Source: Agência Brasil