Air Transport

Brazil’s air transport system has suffered repeated disruptions as air traffic controllers have been working to rule periodically following accusations that a controller’s error caused the 29 September fatal collision between a Gol Airlines Boeing 737-800 and an Embraer Legacy business jet.

None of the accusations has come from official sources, but the controllers’ action appears to reflect their general frustration with the fact that, as air traffic has increased in Brazil, controller numbers and the air navigation service provider’s budget have been reduced.

On 29 October and subsequent days, NOTAMs (notices to airmen) have been published warning of reduced capacity in large sectors of Brazilian airspace, and banning all non-scheduled flights except for military, police and essential aeromedical flights for a significant proportion of the day.

This has caused delay, and extensive cancellation of chartered traffic or private operations, according to industry sources.

Passenger traffic in Brazil has doubled to nearly 50 million in the past 10 years. The nation’s air traffic control services employ 2,700 people, but estimates for the numbers required by early 2007 were set at 3,650 in a study published three years ago.

Within 36h of the mid-air collision, Mato Grosso regional court had declared a criminal investigation into the accident, and in pursuit of this, the police force has been trying to obtain data from both aircraft’s flight recorders, which have been sent to Canada for downloading.

The Legacy, which was damaged but landed safely, has been impounded by the authorities and the two US pilots have been compelled to remain in Brazil.