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Aeronauts’ union released a technical manifesto stating that the Brazilian air system is heading for an unprecedented collapse, with pressure from foreign crews, no progress on fatigue review, and special retirement stalled.
The National Union of Aeronauts released a manifesto this Saturday, May 2nd, addressed to the population, the National Congress, the Executive Branch, and the institutions of the Republic, stating that the Brazilian air system is heading for an unprecedented collapse. According to the document, the warning is technical and well-founded, based on political decisions already made and others still underway.
The text draws attention because it brings together three points that, according to the Union, could simultaneously compromise flight safety, crew health, and the sovereignty of national airspace. These include the possibility of domestic flights in the Legal Amazon with foreign crews, the impasse surrounding the review of human fatigue risk management, and the stalling of special retirement for aeronauts.
What the Union says about the risk of collapse in the air system
The Union’s manifesto presents the scenario as an urgent warning for the Brazilian air sector. The entity, which represents pilots and flight attendants in the country, states that the combination of legislative and regulatory decisions could push aviation towards an environment of greater precariousness and less operational protection.
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In the Union’s assessment, the problem is not concentrated on a single point. The document argues that the risk grows precisely because different issues are advancing simultaneously, affecting areas considered sensitive for air operations, such as crew, working hours, fatigue, and social protection for professionals.
Domestic flights with foreign crews in the Amazon become central to the alert
The first point cited by the Union is Bill 539/2024, approved by the Chamber of Deputies on April 22nd of this year. According to the manifesto, the proposal authorizes foreign companies to operate domestic flights in the Legal Amazon with foreign crews.
The text states that the bill is under analysis in the Federal Senate and that the Northern Caucus is pushing for quick approval, without sufficient debate on labor and operational safety impacts. For the Union, this move opens space for predatory and unfair competition within Brazilian territory itself.
Why the Union sees unfair competition in this change
The entity’s central argument is that Brazilian airlines are legally required to operate with 100% national crew and, therefore, fully bear the labor and social security costs of the country. In the Union’s view, allowing foreign companies to operate in the same region without this obligation creates an asymmetry that weakens national aviation.
The manifesto states that this model subsidizes precariousness and pushes the Brazilian airline industry towards contraction. The document also argues that the measure is not expected to result in a reduction in ticket prices in the region, which broadens the criticism of the bill.
The impasse over human fatigue emerges as a second point of pressure
Another point highlighted by the Union involves the review of RBAC 117, a standard that addresses human fatigue risk management. According to the manifesto, this process continues without progress, maintaining a scenario of wear and tear for the category.
The entity cites that the report previously presented by former ANAC director Brigadier Luiz Ricardo de Souza worsens an already delicate situation by proposing extended working hours and flexibilizations without proper collective construction. For the Union, this directly impacts operational safety and crew health.
What the discussion about fatigue changes in practice for pilots and flight attendants
The issue of fatigue is treated by the Union as a central point of flight safety. When the debate about working hours, rest, and operational limits is stalled or progresses without consensus, concern grows over the accumulated wear and tear on professionals who work daily in the air system.
In practice, the entity argues that this type of change can impact the routine of pilots and flight attendants and increase risk in operations that already demand a high degree of attention and precision. Therefore, the request is for ANAC and the Ministry of Ports and Airports to resume dialogue on RBAC 117.
Stalled special retirement increases pressure on the category
The third axis of the manifesto involves the removal from the agenda, in the Finance and Taxation Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, of the complementary bill that regulates special retirement for workers exposed to harmful health agents, including aeronauts.
The Union cites that these professionals are daily subjected to ionizing radiation above 28,000 feet, micro-vibrations, and abnormal pressurization. By highlighting this situation, the entity emphasizes that the debate is not just about social security benefits, but also about the formal recognition of specific working conditions within aviation.
The requests made by the Union to the Senate, the Chamber, and ANAC
In the manifesto, the Union makes three objective requests to the authorities. To the Senate, the entity asks for the rejection of Bill 539/2024, which deals with the operation of domestic flights in the Legal Amazon by foreign companies with foreign crews.
To the Chamber of Deputies, the request is to unblock Complementary Bill 42/2023 and allow the special retirement process to continue. To ANAC and the Ministry of Ports and Airports, the Union requests the resumption of dialogue on RBAC 117, aimed at human fatigue risk management.
Why the debate mixes safety, labor, and air sovereignty
What gives weight to the manifesto is precisely how it connects different themes within the same risk structure. The Union states that the debate is not limited to labor relations, because it also involves operational safety and control over national airspace.
By citing air sovereignty, the document expands the political scope of the problem and places the discussion beyond the category. The manifesto attempts to show that decisions about crew, regulation, and professional protection can affect the functioning of the air system as a whole.
What this alert means for the future of Brazilian aviation
The text released by the Union presents a scenario of increasing pressure on the sector and suggests that the sum of poorly calibrated measures could produce lasting effects. The entity argues that, without a review of these decisions, the country could move towards a deeper deterioration of air operations.
In this context, the manifesto serves as a call for Congress, government, and regulators to address the issue before the impacts escalate. By bringing together flights in the Amazon, fatigue, and special retirement in the same critique, the Union attempts to transform sectoral issues into a national debate about the future of Brazilian aviation.
Do you think this warning from the Union can change the course of discussions about safety, crew, and sovereignty in the Brazilian air system?
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