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Government Launches Voa Brasil Program, Allowing 23 Million Retirees to Travel with Cheap Air Tickets for Around R$ 200. Initiative Promises to Revolutionize Tourism for Seniors.
On this Wednesday (24), the Federal Government presented the Voa Brasil program, which promises to offer cheap airline tickets for up to R$ 200. Initially, the program will focus exclusively on INSS retirees, benefiting around 23 million people. With this initiative, the government aims to facilitate access to air travel for the elderly population, promoting inclusion and more travel opportunities.
Understand the Main Rules from the Government for Cheap Airline Tickets with the Voa Brasil Program
The Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, stated that 3 million tickets are already available for purchase on the website. According to the Government, Voa Brasil aims to allow more Brazilians, especially new users, to access the air market in Brazil with cheap airline tickets.
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President Lula, who is in Rio de Janeiro, did not participate in the program’s launch in Brasília. He was represented at the ceremony by Vice President Geraldo Alckmin.
In the first year of the program, 3 million tickets will be put up for sale. To be eligible to purchase, INSS retirees cannot have traveled by air in the last 12 months. There is no income limit, so retirees who receive the INSS ceiling (R$ 7,786.02) are also included.
A website has been developed to facilitate the search for tickets offered for up to R$ 200 per leg, and according to government officials involved in the discussions, retirees should access it using their gov.br registration. Based on this information, the system will already know if the person traveled by plane in the last year.
When they find a ticket of interest, retirees will be redirected by the portal to the airline’s own website, already in the purchase finalization part. This was a way found to provide more security and prevent these individuals from falling victim to scams. Each INSS retiree will have the right to purchase two cheap airline tickets (two legs).
Who Will Be Benefited in the Second Phase of Voa Brasil?
The government considered limiting the program to those who earn up to two minimum wages. However, around 85% of retirees already fall within this criteria. Initially, the government expected the audience for the Voa Brasil program to be broader and also include students from the University for All Program (Prouni) – providing university scholarships for low-income students.
✈ Access the official program website by clicking here
However, the federal government seeks, first, to evaluate the outcome of the offer of cheap airline tickets. Thus, it has scaled back Voa Brasil. According to Silvio Costa Filho, in the second phase of the program, students from Prouni and Pronatec will be included, but this is not a simple task.
It is important to mention that there will be no spending of Federal Budget money to reduce the cost of cheap airline tickets for retirees. The government’s work was to negotiate with airlines an agreement to offer tickets at this price to those who have not traveled in the last 12 months.
Understand How the Government Convinced Airlines
The government’s argument is that these people will fill vacant seats on airplanes. The National Secretary of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Ports and Airports, Tomé Franca, explained that historically about 15 to 20% of seats are unoccupied each year. It is a quota for retirees. These are tickets within this vacancy.
According to data gathered by aides to President Lula, civil aviation handled approximately 112 million passengers in the last year.
Of that total, about R$ 12% of the tickets were sold for up to R$ 200. The expectation is that the 3 million tickets from Voa Brasil will increase that share, as airlines would fill the empty seats on planes with retirees who do not usually travel.
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