MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil promotes drastic cuts in regional air fares

Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency which controls commercial flights policy in the country announced it will authorize discounts of up to 80% on plane tickets to destinations within South America.

The decision which becomes effective this Sunday June first includes flights leaving from Brazil to any of the other twelve countries in the region: Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guyana and Suriname. According to the agency, the move is the first step in the strategy to make ticket fares more flexible on all international flights leaving from the country, and the intention in the near future is to extend the policy to destinations in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. The first stage of the policy implementation started last March when the government agency authorized air companies to offer discounts of 30 to 50%. Brazilian airlines welcomed the decision, but they did not announce any immediate change in the current ticket pricing policy. Gol Linhas Aereas, one of the main airlines in the country, praised the decision saying it benefits mainly Brazilian passengers. Meanwhile, its main competitor in the local market, TAM Linhas Aereas, stated in an official release that for the moment it will retain the current level of discounts.