Brazil: Hundreds of flights canceled due to flu and covid cases

Hundreds of domestic and international flights are being canceled at Brazilian airports due to a lack of crew, including pilots and co-pilots. The situation is due to the large number of medical dismissals registered in January as a result of the increase in flu and covid cases.

The three main Brazilian airlines – Azul, Gol and Latam – confirmed that their operations were impacted. The National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) said that “it is monitoring cases of respiratory diseases caused in pilots, flight attendants and other professionals in the airline industry.” Latam, for example, informed its passengers that it has canceled 1% of all domestic and international flights in January. At least 111 airline flights were canceled, scheduled to take off between today (10) and next Sunday (16).

Gol also confirmed in a note a recent “increase in positive cases among employees.” However, he said, “no flight was canceled or underwent significant changes for this reason.” Employees who tested positive, he added, are being removed from their jobs to recover safely at home.

In the case of Azul, a 405% increase in absences for medical reasons was registered in January, compared to the average of the last 12 months, according to data from the National Aeronautical Union (SNA). The situation, according to the union, led the company to propose to its employees a collective agreement with a bonus in kind to those who agreed to have fewer days off.

In a statement, Azul said that “90% of the company’s operations are developing normally”, but that, for operational reasons, some of its January flights are being rescheduled. It also reported that the number of medical discharges among its crew members increased, almost all of whom presented mild symptoms.

At the Viracopos airport, the Azul airline’s main operations center in São Paulo, at least 53 cancellations were registered between yesterday (9) and this Monday morning.

–