Brazilian civil aviation grounds to a halt!
Dec 23, 2006, 3:10 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SAO & NYC
Programs: AA EXP (2 MM)
Posts: 303
Brazilian civil aviation grounds to a halt!
In case you haven't been following the situation down in Brazil, well, air travel there has simply spiralled out of control with over 70% of flights being delayed over 1 hour and almost half of those with delays of over 4 hours or even cancellations across the board. TAM, for example, has been suspended from selling domestic tickets until this Sunday! (source: Globo News)
It all started with the September 29 crash of Gol flight 1907 which was involved in a mid-air collision with a private jet. All 148 passengers and crew aboard the Gol 737-800 perished, while the Embraer Legacy private jet managed to land safely with no injuries to any of the 7 passengers and crew. While the investigation is still ongoing, it has been established that both planes were flying at the same flight level (37,000 feet) in opposite directions and that the wingtip and aileron of the Legacy cliped the wing of the 737 sending it into a plunge.
Anyway, the point is that as a result of the partial findings, air traffic controllers, perhaps sensing the danger of where the investigation was going, went on strike complaining of being overworked and understaffed. That strike obviously led to massive delays and cancellations back then. A few days later, a central air traffic computer mysteriously malfunctioned and brought the entire system to a halt in what became the country's worst aviation day in history. The head of the civil aviation authority spoke of sabotage on the part of air traffic controlers and meanwhile passengers were waiting for days trying to get anywhere. It took over a week to clear the backlog.
This past week, to add to the mix, TAM (Brazil's leading airline with over 48% of all traffic) announced that six of its aircraft were taken out of the system for unscheduled maintenance. At the same time, it was announced (though denied by TAM) that due to massive overbooking and most passengers showing up for their flights (it is the holiday season, after all), TAM simply had no more planes to carry passengers and flights were cancelled in Sao Paulo, Rio, Brasilia, Porto Alegre and other major cities!
The military intervened, sending (actually, chartering...they're getting paid) a 707 to TAM in order to meet the high demand. At the same time, ANAC (the governing authority) banned TAM from selling any more domestic tickets until the backlog is cleared. A quick visit to TAM's website, however, will show that they are not abiding and you can still buy tickets domestically. (I checked not five minutes ago...)
Even the bankrupt VARIG has offered its planes to carry the stranded passengers, though it, too, is suffering delays due to the air traffic situation. Other airlines like Ocean Air are also offering planes, but the most they can do is transport passengers whose flights were cancelled altogether, because the delays caused by the underlying air traffic situation still exist and affect all airlines.
All in all, I would say that this is a meltdown...
It all started with the September 29 crash of Gol flight 1907 which was involved in a mid-air collision with a private jet. All 148 passengers and crew aboard the Gol 737-800 perished, while the Embraer Legacy private jet managed to land safely with no injuries to any of the 7 passengers and crew. While the investigation is still ongoing, it has been established that both planes were flying at the same flight level (37,000 feet) in opposite directions and that the wingtip and aileron of the Legacy cliped the wing of the 737 sending it into a plunge.
Anyway, the point is that as a result of the partial findings, air traffic controllers, perhaps sensing the danger of where the investigation was going, went on strike complaining of being overworked and understaffed. That strike obviously led to massive delays and cancellations back then. A few days later, a central air traffic computer mysteriously malfunctioned and brought the entire system to a halt in what became the country's worst aviation day in history. The head of the civil aviation authority spoke of sabotage on the part of air traffic controlers and meanwhile passengers were waiting for days trying to get anywhere. It took over a week to clear the backlog.
This past week, to add to the mix, TAM (Brazil's leading airline with over 48% of all traffic) announced that six of its aircraft were taken out of the system for unscheduled maintenance. At the same time, it was announced (though denied by TAM) that due to massive overbooking and most passengers showing up for their flights (it is the holiday season, after all), TAM simply had no more planes to carry passengers and flights were cancelled in Sao Paulo, Rio, Brasilia, Porto Alegre and other major cities!
The military intervened, sending (actually, chartering...they're getting paid) a 707 to TAM in order to meet the high demand. At the same time, ANAC (the governing authority) banned TAM from selling any more domestic tickets until the backlog is cleared. A quick visit to TAM's website, however, will show that they are not abiding and you can still buy tickets domestically. (I checked not five minutes ago...)
Even the bankrupt VARIG has offered its planes to carry the stranded passengers, though it, too, is suffering delays due to the air traffic situation. Other airlines like Ocean Air are also offering planes, but the most they can do is transport passengers whose flights were cancelled altogether, because the delays caused by the underlying air traffic situation still exist and affect all airlines.
All in all, I would say that this is a meltdown...
Dec 24, 2006, 5:04 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,481
I keep hearing these things ... yet I keep flying in an out of GRU with no significant problems at all. No significant delays and no major lines in the airport (neither customs nor immigration). I've been three times (I think) since the crash.
Dec 24, 2006, 7:10 am
#5
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SAO & NYC
Programs: AA EXP (2 MM)
Posts: 303
Personally, I think it's because the air traffic controllers don't want to piss off the international airlines, especially American ones, since they would then face tremendous pressure to get their act together. It's really quite sickening the way they are using the Brazilian public as pawns in their political game. At first I was sympathetic to their cause -- after all, they do have a very stressful job and lives are at stake. But they have abused their power and lost all sympathy here.
Dec 24, 2006, 7:29 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,481
To clarify, most of the problems are affecting domestic flights and domestic airlines only. The reason? Some say it's because international flights don't fly in the domestic "grid," but that's not true: most flights to/from the US fly in regular Brazilian air "highways" until clearing the Brazilian border, so that doesn't make sense.
Personally, I think it's because the air traffic controllers don't want to piss off the international airlines, especially American ones, since they would then face tremendous pressure to get their act together. It's really quite sickening the way they are using the Brazilian public as pawns in their political game. At first I was sympathetic to their cause -- after all, they do have a very stressful job and lives are at stake. But they have abused their power and lost all sympathy here.
Personally, I think it's because the air traffic controllers don't want to piss off the international airlines, especially American ones, since they would then face tremendous pressure to get their act together. It's really quite sickening the way they are using the Brazilian public as pawns in their political game. At first I was sympathetic to their cause -- after all, they do have a very stressful job and lives are at stake. But they have abused their power and lost all sympathy here.
Dec 24, 2006, 10:48 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SAO & NYC
Programs: AA EXP (2 MM)
Posts: 303
Personally, I prefer TAM only because I can earn AA miles and I fly frequently inside Brazil. But if it's a one-time thing then the 800 miles you'll get are insignificant and just take either one.
Dec 27, 2006, 1:53 pm
#9
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA Silver, AA 0.7MM
Posts: 291
Here's an update from Rio. We flew in from JFK to Sao Paolo on TAM and then connected to Rio leaving on 12/26 and arriving 12/27. Both flights ran about 1 hr late but they held the second connection for us and other passengers. Both airports were well organized and there was no unrest. We were worried before the trip but everything turned out fine. Wish the rest of you the best of luck.
Dec 30, 2006, 12:19 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: United P1 and million miler
Posts: 164
Just had good experience on GOL
No meltdown on GOL, an apparently well-run Brazilian airline that goes all over Brazil. We flew from Belo H to Salvador on 12/22, and from Salvador to Rio Galeao on 12/27. Planes ran about an hour late, otherwise uneventful. Nice experience.