Brazil: the current situation of failed aviation company Itapemirim

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Nearly three months after it ceased operations, Itapemirim still owes its former employees salaries and labor rights; passengers have yet to receive refunds; creditors are piling up their claims, and a lessor is unable to take back one of the planes cannibalized in São José dos Campos.

The airline, which set out with the promise of revolutionizing air travel in Brazil, did not get beyond a brief six-month flight that was suspended on Dec. 17, 2021, leaving tens of thousands of people stranded. The promise to return to the skies in February was never fulfilled, and today there are not even planes to fulfill that hope.

Every week, AEROIN receives numerous complaints, allegations, and evidence from people associated with the company complaining that they cannot receive the fruits of their labor. There are several complaints related to unpaid terminations of employment contracts and even the FGTS (Unemployment Fund), which is not paid in, although it has been deducted from the payroll. There is also a backlog of claims from former employees who have been “abandoned.”

TICKETS

In light of the observed non-compliance with the reimbursement agreement, ANAC issued a notice a few weeks ago asking aggrieved travelers to file their complaints on the Consumer.gov portal. Rather than wait for Itapemirim to fulfill its obligation, which is unlikely, ANAC is gathering evidence to prevent the company from operating flights again before the problems it caused passengers are resolved.

The private portal Reclame Aqui receives new complaints daily from customers affected by the loss of their money.

AIRCRAFT

Of the seven aircraft that Itapemirim brought into the country, all have departed and returned to their lessors. If the company initially tried to sell that the aircraft were being “maintained,” it became clear when the export certificates were issued that this was all history.

In the process, one of the lessors was unlucky. The reason is that one of the aircraft leased from ITA with the registration number PS-AAF is still in Brazil, more precisely in São José dos Campos, where it was cannibalized.

This information was confirmed by AEROIN based on indications from a source who prefers to remain anonymous. The documents include several communications from the airline requesting the removal of parts of the Airbus A320 PS-AAF for use in the rest of the fleet.

With information from AeroIn.net