'Voa Brasil': 1.5 million tickets at R$ 200 per month will be made available, minister announces
The purpose of the program is to benefit those who have not traveled in the last 12 months. Announcement was made during the event held at the State University of Rio de Janeiro.
The Minister of Ports and Airports, Márcio França at Uerj this Thursday (13) - Photo Reproduction/Internet
The Minister of Ports and Airports, Márcio França, during a lecture at Uerj, in Rio deJanuary, on Thursday(13), announced the air ticket program to R$ 200, known as "Voa Brasil". During the event held at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, França shared more information about the program, which is expected to start in August. The initiative is expected to reach its maximum capacity within a year.
The Minister also announced that the airlines Latam, Gol and Azul joined the "Voa Brasil" program. According to Márcio França, the implementation of this program will result in a significant increase in flights in the country, especially for destinations that currently do not have a high demand.
Fly Brazil Program
The purpose of the initiative is to favor individuals who have not traveled in the last 12 months. Each ticket segment will have a fixed price of R$ 200, and each person can purchase up to four segments. The program will initially be implemented for retirees, pensioners and, later, for civil servants, said the minister. In the beginning, it will have a service capacity of 1.5 million tickets per month, but will be implemented gradually. It is important to emphasize that this program will not use public resources. As mentioned by França, only empty airline seats will be used.
"This program has capacity, we are talking about 1.5 million tickets a month, which we could reach. They are stretches. But we will arrive gradually. (...) we need to prepare the airports for this", said the minister.
Also according to the minister, the proposal consists of making tickets available at reduced prices during periods of low demand, which comprise the months of February to June and August to November. At these times, there is usually an average of 21% idleness on domestic flights. The objective is to encourage the sale of these tickets outside the high season.
Santos Dumont Airport
As announced in June, the plan consists of restricting operations at Santos Dumont Airport, limiting it to the air bridge routes between Congonhas (SP) and Brasília (DF). The other flights would be redirected to Galeão International Airport. The purpose of this measure is to keep the number of passengers on Santos Dumont below 10 million annually.
"We are adapting Santos Dumont to reframe the airport for the size that holds less than 10 million passengers", said França.
According to the minister, the goal is to guarantee that the two airports complement in terms of size and location. Specifically, Galeão Airport is intended to become a hub, due to its status as the largest in Brazil and its adequate infrastructure to receive international flights. However, it is equally important for the airport to maintain local and domestic connections.
