Voa Brasil: retirees will have tickets for R$ 200 before – 07/14/2023 – Market

The Voa Brasil program, which sells airline tickets for up to R$200, will start with INSS (National Social Security Institute) retirees and pensioners, according to the Ministry of Ports and Airports. The discount system should start to be valid in August.

In an interview with SheetMinister Márcio França stated that the government is also negotiating with airports to create a cashback system for boarding fees in order to encourage participants in the new program. Fees such as landing and connection fees would not be included in this modality in which the amount paid is refunded in the form of credits.

“While we cannot force airports to provide these types of incentives to passengers, we are emphasizing that this fee money [de embarque] today, he doesn’t even enter the airport”, says the minister.

Each passenger will be able to buy a maximum of four tickets for a value of up to R$ 200. To monitor this maximum usage quota, there will be a CPF verification system.

The three main Brazilian airlines —Latam, Gol and Azul— have already agreed to participate in the ticket discount program, according to França.

The minister also explained that Voa Brasil will be implemented in stages, to ensure that airports can adapt to the new volume of passengers. When fully functional, the only requirement to gain access will be that the user has not flown through the program in the last 12 months.

The projection is that 1.5 million tickets will be offered per month when Voa Brasil starts to include all people who meet the requirements to take advantage of the program.

“Our suggestion to the companies is that the implementation be gradual, starting first with the reserve of 5% of the 20% idleness. If all goes well, we will go to the second stage. to welcome people who have never flown or entered an airport.”

The project intends to use the idleness of the aircraft, that is, the empty seats, during the months of March, April, May, August, September, October and November.

França says that the current business model of airlines is wrong because it increases the cost of travel with additional fees and services and prevents new users from having access to the modality.

“Today the ticket represents 40% of the ticket price and we are major fuel producers, so these efforts [para reduzir o preço das passagens] now they are a matter of political persuasion; We have to convince Petrobras, the government, Congress, everyone that aviation is not meant to be an elitist thing.”