Asas amazônicas : aviação regional no Norte do Brasil

Abstract

Some feel that we have lost perspective on how extraordinary it is that we can get to so many places in the world so quickly, safely and efficiently. This phenomenon is thanks to Aviation, which is a real fascination for many. Its contribution throughout history is unquestionable: if at the beginning of the 20th century, flying was a privilege for a few wealthy people, today it contributes to connecting the world in a more embracing way. In this context, considering the territorial grandeur of our country, the need to interconnect the most diverse places, especially the vast Amazon region, places us in front of the Regional Aviation segment. Thus, this dissertation aims to present an overview of this sector, analyzing the market and the processes of (de) regulation, public policies and government actions aimed at it. We seek to understand what challenges small aviation has to face in order to operate in the corners of the Amazon. For this purpose, bibliographic and documentary research on the topic was adopted as methodology, with documents from regulatory agencies, academic journals, specialized journals, and to compose the last part of the study, a field research on the only regional airline based in Roraima. Were also used interviews with travel agents who have worked in the state with extensive experience in the sector. From the study carried out in this research it was possible to identify that the attention given to the sector by the different governments, over time, from different ideological spectra, is basically restricted to the national regular aviation. While the regional sector, with the exception of a few programs that had their effective implementation, such as SITAR, does not have due attention. The challenges are many: from infrastructure in the Amazon, unfair competition with the large companies, lack of subsidies and fiscal policies, economic performance and, above all, a regulatory policy that differentiates them from other companies in the same segment, ensuring equity in treatment and the continuity of their operations. The whole of Brazil has, in 2021, only two regular regional airlines. A very different scenario from the second half of the 2000s, when the country had twelve regional airlines active in the market, half of which operated regularly in the Amazon.