Brazil gov't to allow full foreign ownership of airlines

Brazil's Tourism Minister Marx Beltrão today (April 11) announced that Brazil's air travel regulations will be changed to allow foreign investors to have full ownership of Brazilian airlines. An interim presidential decree with the amendments proposed by the ministry is expected to be signed by President Michel Temer Tuesday (11).

The minister believes the deregulation will increase the number of national routes, boost competitiveness, and make fares cheaper. “We want to see more businesses operating, increase competitiveness, cheaper fares, more routes, more destinations and—as a result—more travel in Brazil,” he said.

E-visas

The move is part of Brasil+Turismo, a set of measures launched by the government today, designed to boost tourism in Brazil, cut red-tape, and create jobs. The measures include the adoption of electronic visas for countries regarded as strategic for tourism in Brazil. The government wants the e-visa system to be implemented for visitors from the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan by the end of 2017.

According to the ministry, the online system will shrink the entire visa application, fee payment, and issuance saga to a 48-hour process. Applications will be handled online on a Web browser or mobile app, which means it will eliminate paperwork.

The ministry expects the number of foreign visitors to Brazil to grow from 6.5 million in 2016 to 12 million in 2022, and the annual inbound travel revenue to increase from the current $6 billion to $19 billion a year.

Translated by Mayra Borges