Brazilian aviation market could gain two new airlines

The Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, announced last Friday that the Brazilian aviation market is expected to welcome two new regional airlines by January 2026. This development is part of the government's efforts to strengthen regional aviation and improve connections between capital cities and cities in the country's interior. One of the new airlines will be Total Linhas Aéreas, which currently transports cargo and is now preparing to operate passenger flights, Costa Filho said. The other will be a new nationally owned company, created by Brazilian businesspeople and dedicated exclusively to regional air transportation.

According to the minister, the National Civil Aviation Fund (FNAC), with R$4 billion in credit from the BNDES (Brazilian Development Bank), will be crucial for the renewal and expansion of the national air fleet. The minister hopes the fund will encourage airlines to purchase Embraer aircraft, which will also open up space for low-cost carriers starting in 2026.

Currently, only 12% of aircraft in operation in Brazil are Embraer, a much lower percentage than in countries like the United States and France, where Boeing and Airbus dominate the market. "With FNAC, an airline will be able to acquire up to 30 aircraft through BNDES. This is a significant gain for Brazil, which will stimulate regional aviation," the minister stated. Criticism of the Shielding Amendment Proposal Silvio Costa Filho criticized the Chamber of Deputies' urgent approval of the "Amnesty Bill" and the "Shield Amendment Proposal." The statements were made last Friday during a press conference at the Port of Recife, where the minister announced a R$100 million investment in dredging and the passenger terminal. The Shield Amendment Proposal, approved on Tuesday the 16th, makes it more difficult to investigate members of Congress accused of crimes. The Amnesty Bill proposes pardoning those convicted of the January 8, 2023, attacks and has the support of pro-Bolsonaro lawmakers.

The Minister of Ports and Airports noted that the Speaker of the House, Hugo Motta (Republicans-PB), had to respect the decision of the leadership committee when scheduling the matters. However, he emphasized that, if he were still a federal representative, he would vote against both proposals. Sílvio Costa Filho argued that the House's priorities should be economic and social issues, not proposals that seek to hinder the accountability of politicians.