The National Consumer Secretariat asked the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) to make rules for passenger air transport more flexible, considering the exceptional nature of airports in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Among the demands are the possibility of rescheduling tickets without cost within one year and full refund without payment of fees. 
The request was made in a letter sent this Wednesday (8) by the director of the Department of Consumer Protection and Defense, Vitor Hugo do Amaral Ferreira, and by the National Consumer Secretary, Wadih Damous, to the director of Anac, Tiago Pereira, with request for urgent forwarding of the proposal. Salgado Filho International Airport, in Porto Alegre, is closed indefinitely and, according to Senacon, the allocation of the air network to other airports in the state is unfeasible.
The secretariat estimates that 209 thousand passengers will be affected by the closure of the airport in Rio Grande do Sul due to the floods in the state.
“This secretariat, in contact with the Brazilian Association of Airlines (Abear), reinforces the understanding that it is necessary, urgently, to equalize the relationship between suppliers and consumers in the airline sector”, says the letter. During the covid-19 pandemic, Anac relaxed some rules for canceling and rescheduling tickets.
Senacon asked Anac for the possibility of changing the air transport contract with modification of the final destination, within the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, at no additional cost to the passenger and flexibility in paying accommodation and transportation costs. road.
Airlines were also asked to increase efficiency in passenger service, especially over the telephone, as many passengers in Rio Grande do Sul are unable to communicate virtually with the company due to power outages in some locations.
The provision or funding of road transport to the airport indicated by the airline to take off to the contracted final destination and the possibility of endorsement for other companies in suitable locations for landing and take-off are also among the requests.
Anac has not yet commented on Senacon’s request.
*Ivan Richard collaborated
