Controllers Slowdown in Brazil May Bring US$ 19 Million Lawsuit by Airlines

The air transportation chaos that has been installed in Brazil the last few days with flight delays of up to 20 hours is getting curiouser by the hour.

Passengers incensed with their woes have appealed to Procon, the consumer protection agency, which has threatened to sue the airlines, which now are vowing to take the government to court with a 40 million reais (US$ 19 million) lawsuit for damages.

José Moreira, the vice president of the National Air Companies Union (Snea) has announced Friday, November 3, that by Tuesday they should have all their numbers in.

Their intention is to present the federal government a detailed bill for all the expenses they incurred due to a work-to-rule campaign staged by air controllers since September 27.

Preliminary figures, says the Union, show that the 18 airlines represented by the Snea have lost a minimum of 40 million reais in the last 10 days. Most of the Brazilian air controllers are military men and they are subordinated to the Defense Ministry.

Their first course of action, says Moreira will be to get into an agreement and reach a settlement. Failing this the Union is ready to file suit: "We have a contract with the granting power, the Union, by which we vow to provide an adequate service. The Union, however, is not giving us the indispensable conditions we need to provide such a service".

São Paulo Procon’s has already summoned the airline companies for a  Tuesday, November 7 meeting, when that consumer protection agency will remind the air carriers that they have a duty to assist all passengers who for any reason get stuck in airports due to flight delays or cancellations. They are supposed to offer hotel, food and transportation while the passenger waits for his flight.

The Procon has already signaled that they also will go to court against the airline companies and the Union if they are not able to reach an agreement. All consumers who had losses in the last few days due to lack of assistance by the airlines are being encouraged to show up at the closest Procon office with the air ticket stub and other documents detailing their expenses. 

The National Civil Aviation Agency’s (ANAC) director, Milton Zuanazzi, recognizes that the airline companies had losses, but he believes they are making a mountain out of molehill: "There has been some loss, but the ones who suffered the biggest loss were the citizens who had their right to come and go jeopardized," he commented.

The work-to-rule campaign by the controllers lowered the number of planes monitored by one controller to 14 aircraft simultaneously, the accepted international maximum. Before that one controller might be in charge of as many as 20 airplanes.

This new routine imposed a bigger distance between planes causing delays of five hours in average, but up to 20 hours in some cases, and flight cancellations.

As an emergency measure, the government has moved 149 military controllers to the air control towers in need. The situation has returned to normal now, but many fear that the chaos will come back Sunday, November 5, when people start returning home at the end of the long All Souls Day holiday.

Tags:

You May Also Like

Maternal Mortality Still Too High in Brazil: 74 Deaths Per 1,000 Births

In 2002, the infant mortality rate in Brazil was 25.1 deaths before the age ...

Playing the Race Game in Brazil’s Shopping Malls

Sociology teaches us that spaces are not neutral; just as race or color are ...

JetBlue Founder, a Brazilian, Starts Brazil Airline

Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer, has signed an agreement to sell 36 Embraer 195 jets ...

Brazil to Reward Exporters with Tax Breaks

The Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade is working on a project ...

Lula’s Candidate to the Presidency Vows Ruling Brazil with Woman’s Soul

Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s former cabinet chief, Dilma Rousseff, was officially ...

Lula Forgoes Plans for Triumphal Entry in Soccer City After Brazil’s Loss to Holland

The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confirmed he will not be ...

Rio+20 Is Testing Lab for Technology Brazil Will Use in World Cup and Olympic Games

Rio+20, the United Nations Sustainable Development Conference that begins today in Brazil has been ...

Small Brazilian Companies Get Help to Show Their Goods Overseas

Brazilian small and micro enterprises (SMEs) from the state of Rio Grande do Sul ...

Come and Get It, Says Brazil’s BNDES with a US$ 22.2 Billion Stash

The director of Planning of Brazil’s National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Antônio ...

The Discovery of the Brazilian Turks by Jorge Amado

Welcome to a universe of strong men and sweet, sensual women with strong personalities. ...