Background on Voepass and the Tragic Accident
Voepass, a Brazilian airline founded in 1995 (originally named Passaredo), connected 15 destinations within Brazil. Tragically, on August 9, 2024, one of its aircraft crashed near São Paulo, resulting in 62 fatalities. The crash occurred in a residential area of Vinhedo, southeast of São Paulo, marking the worst aviation disaster in Brazil in 17 years.
Investigation Findings and Regulatory Actions
Following the accident, a preliminary investigation report revealed issues with the aircraft’s de-icing system. Subsequent inspections by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) uncovered “serious and persistent failures” in Voepass’s maintenance execution, including the non-detection and correction of mandatory maintenance inspection items by the company’s internal controls.
Permanent Suspension and Imposed Penalties
In response to these findings, the ANAC announced on Tuesday night that it had permanently revoked Voepass’s flight permission due to “serious and persistent failures” in its maintenance system. The regulatory body had already temporarily suspended Voepass’s operations in March following observations of “systematic non-compliance” with their requirements during a February inspection.
Alongside the permanent suspension, ANAC imposed a fine of 570,400 Brazilian reals (approximately $102,000 USD). In October, after an inspection, ANAC ordered Voepass to reduce the number of destinations offered and ensure that its aircraft spent more time on the ground for maintenance operations.
Impact and Key Questions
- Who is Voepass? Voepass is a Brazilian airline established in 1995, originally named Passaredo. It connected 15 destinations within Brazil.
- What happened in August 2024? An airplane operated by Voepass crashed near São Paulo, resulting in 62 fatalities—58 passengers and four crew members traveling from Cascavel to São Paulo.
- What were the investigation findings? The preliminary investigation report indicated problems with the aircraft’s de-icing system. Further inspections by ANAC discovered “serious and persistent failures” in Voepass’s maintenance execution.
- What actions did ANAC take? ANAC permanently revoked Voepass’s flight permission, temporarily suspended operations in March, and imposed a fine of 570,400 Brazilian reals (approximately $102,000 USD) following the October inspection.
- How does this affect travelers? Passengers previously relying on Voepass for travel between the 15 connected destinations will need to seek alternative airlines or modes of transportation.
