In two years, the Voo Simples Program has 70 initiatives aimed at modernization, debureaucratization and efficiency in the airline industry

On October 7, the Brazilian civil aviation simplification and debureaucratization program, Voo Simples (Simple Flight), completed two years. Created by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), in partnership with the Federal Government, the program counted on strong social participation, having received 332 contributions from society for several actions. Over these two years, 70 measures have been developed. Of these, 66% have already been concluded. 

The program was created and developed during the biggest crisis in Brazilian aviation, generated by the covid-19 pandemic, and envisioned not only the resumption of aviation to pre-pandemic levels, but also a more efficient, faster, modern, and safer future for the sector.

To learn more about the program and the details of the initiatives, visit the Voo Simples page on the ANAC website (available in Portuguese only). See below the main actions taken by the program and also those already planned.

Civil Aviation Inspection Fees

One of the main deliveries of the Voo Simples Program was the rationalization of all the Civil Aviation Inspection Fees (TFACs). They were reduced from 342 to just 25 taxable events, divided into six levels of complexity. This allowed for greater proportionality between the amount of the fee charged and the cost of the service provided by the Agency. The simplification in itself was a great advance. There were more than 90 unused fees that were excluded. From the rationalization on, the fees that are used were kept, obsolete ones were extinguished, and new ones were built due to the new services created. In addition, the fees were adapted to the reality of civil aviation and to the tax regulations in force. The high amounts of some TFACs were disproportionate to the point of making it unfeasible for the regulated companies to carry out certain activities.

An example is the hot air balloon certification TFAC, which had its cost reduced from R$ 900 thousand to approximately R$ 20 thousand. The high cost made air operators opt for models certified abroad. The reduction in costs and the adaptation of the fees to the reality of civil aviation allowed the improvement of the business environment and the development of the sector.

Digital Brazilian Aircraft Registration and Logbook

The Brazilian Aircraft Registration (RAB) has seen both the simplification of services and their digitalization. From the changes made in the provisions of the Brazilian Aeronautical Code (CBA), it was possible to allow the simplification, for example, of the registration of less complex aircraft and/or dedicated to aerospace activities. In this regulatory clean-up, it was also revoked article 84 of the CBA, which required the submission of the Logbook to the RAB. The advancement of technology and the adoption of digital systems for official registration of information, replacing paper records, were determining factors for the repeal of this device. Currently, commercial aircraft operators, private aircraft operators, and air cab operators have already adopted a digitalized model for submitting data.

The Digital RAB was developed with the objective of simplifying the services made available by the RAB and making the service to regulated parties and users more practical and faster. The goal is to simplify the entry and management of petitions related to the registration services, facilitating the instruction of processes, analysis and service requests. To learn more about the digitalized service, visit the Digital Brazilian Aircraft Registry page (available in Portuguese only).

New Unmanned Aircraft System (New UAS)

Created in 2017, the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) allows operators and owners to perform the registration of equipment in a declaratory way. In May 2022, the new UAS was launched, which now integrates the entire data network of the Agency, allowing the unification of user profiles with other ANAC systems, providing greater security and stability in service. In addition, new features and services were added to give more autonomy to users. Some of the new features were the addition of the transfer between users, drone registration for advanced use, and the issuance of a Special Airworthiness Certificate for remotely piloted aircraft.

Amphibious Operations

Seeking to think ahead and promote the development of amphibious operations with operational safety, the Manual for Landing and Takeoff in Aerodrome on Water was created, which has an orientative content and has no normative nature. The document deals with the specific characteristics of operations on water, the minimum requirements for aircraft, the training and qualification of pilots and crew, the assessment and management of operational risk, the regulations of the Brazilian Navy and Port Authority and the National Agency for Waterway Transport (ANTAQ), the characteristics of aerodromes on water, among other information.

Digital Technical Qualification Certificate 

Aiming to offer services, concentrate, and facilitate the presentation of digital documents, the gov.br application allows pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, and dispatchers to present the Digital Technical Qualification Certificate at airports. The use of the digital document frees the professional from the need to present an official document with a photo to exercise the profession and to enter restricted areas of airports.

Operation of Foreign Companies

For a foreign company to operate in the country, it had to follow some requirements, such as being designated by the country of origin, having the authorization to operate, and having the authorization to operate. These documents increased the time and did not add value to the process itself. In addition, the CBA did not deal with non-regular foreign companies. As of the changes made by the program, it is no longer necessary for foreign companies to have the authorization to operate, but to be legally constituted at the commercial registry and file the process to operate in the country. It is estimated that the period for a foreign company to operate in Brazil will be reduced by half. And, also, it is now contemplating non-regular foreign companies. 

Localities with no registered aerodromes and the Legal Amazon

An important change promoted by the program was the simplification of the requirements to allow operations in a location that does not have a registered aerodrome. With the difficulty of access in the Legal Amazon, the simplification of registration expands health care. Before the change, there were 105 public aerodromes in the Legal Amazon for 772 municipalities. With the change, there are now 102 new locations authorized for humanitarian care. The measure has provided greater mobility and air connectivity and operations for humanitarian purposes, both in municipalities and in the private areas of the National Indian Foundation (Funai). Before the program, no civilian aerodromes could be built, but now the documentation has been changed so that they can be built for this specific purpose.  

Next steps

In order to bring more efficiency and competitiveness to Brazilian civil aviation, ANAC is coordinating new actions. Some of the planned initiatives are the changes in security inspection procedures in order to simplify the process for the passenger, the expansion of prerogatives to maintenance professionals, the validation of foreign certification without the need for a new certification in Brazil, among other projects.

PM and the Voo Simples Act

From ANAC’s initiative, a legislative change proposal was elaborated within the federal government, which became known as the Voo Simples PM (MP do Voo Simples), with the objective of updating outdated rules in the norms that regulate Brazilian aviation, proposing the amendment and revocation of 119 provisions in the Brazilian Aeronautical Code, among other diplomas, and the revision and updating of regulations. The Provisional Measure of Voo Simples was issued by the President in December 2021.

The regulatory revision was made possible by the publication of Provisional Measure (PM) 1089, of December 29, 2021, known as the Voo Simples PM, which revoked 91 provisions of the Brazilian Aeronautical Code and revised 35 others. Less than six months after the publication of the PM, the Federal Government sanctioned Law No. 14,368, of June 14, 2022, known as the Voo Simples Act, aligning Brazil with international practices of simplification and debureaucratization in aviation. The publication constitutes an important normative update, aligning the country with the best international practices.