The cancellation of trips by ITA (Itapemirim Transportes Aéreos) left many passengers homeless on the eve of the holiday season.
From school trips to family trips, what is seen among the aggrieved customers is a general feeling of abandonment and anger at the announcement of the company’s last-minute suspension of activities.
Engineer Chrystian Richard Nogueira says that he arrived at the airport in Guarulhos (SP) on Friday (17) at around 5:30 pm with a scheduled trip to Porto Alegre. When he went to check-in at the company’s window, he found only one employee who was already leaving her job.
Informed at around 9 pm about the suspension of flights by the company, Nogueira says he spent the night from Friday to Saturday (18th) at the airport in search of some kind of help from the airline or some responsible agency, but he is waiting for her it was in vain.
Nogueira also says that, around 11:00 am on Saturday, representatives of the Federal Police appeared at the airport’s lobby and sent some passengers so that a police report could be registered regarding the case.
“They explained that this document could be used to file a lawsuit, but the problem has not been resolved. There are still many people at the airport, some without the money to return home”, says Nogueira, who bought tickets to the capital on his own account. Gaucha and was heading to the Tietê bus station, in São Paulo.
Itapemirim, which started operating in June of this year, had to deal with delays in salaries and employee benefits, suspension of the workers’ health plan, debts with suppliers, non-compliance with schedules, flight cancellations, customer service criticism and sending data errors on the number of passengers for Anac (National Civil Aviation Agency).
The commercial receptionist Lais Silva says that in July she bought tickets for her and two children to Fortaleza for the next 26th.
“It’s been a much bigger loss due to the emotional issue, of having to explain to the children that the trip we’ve been waiting for so long won’t happen,” says Lais.
She says she got in touch with the company via email, but so far she hasn’t had any response.
“We don’t have the money to buy a ticket on another airline, because at this point, so close to the festive dates, everything is already very expensive”, says Lais, adding that he expects that within a week the company will give some kind of return.
Journalist Taynara Rios says that she had her end-of-the-year family trip already scheduled, with a rented car, hotel and scheduled trips to Recife and João Pessoa. Everything has already been paid for, including airline tickets.
“A few weeks ago, Itapemirim made changes to our flights and sent us an email warning us, but our flight did not appear on the website. We had to go to the service at Guarulhos airport to understand what had happened,” says Taynara.
The flight that was initially planned to leave Guarulhos was transferred to Congonhas, at a different time, but ended up cancelled.
“We had to buy, in a rush, tickets three times more expensive so that we wouldn’t lose what we had already booked in the cities, without knowing if we’ll be reimbursed by Itapemirim. We contacted them by email, as recommended, and we’re awaiting further information , but it is very sad to see the company’s irresponsibility towards passengers, especially in the week of family celebrations, where many people would travel.”
She says that she had already looked for telephone contact and went to the airport, without getting any answers. Anac (National Civil Aviation Agency) advises passengers not to go to airports and says that those harmed can resort to the Consumidor.gov.br platform.
The report was unable to contact Itapemirim this Saturday. On its website, the company informs, in a note, that it regrets the inconvenience and advises passengers to contact the email [email protected].
“The company will dedicate its maximum effort to, soon, resume its flights”, says the note from Itapemirim.
According to Felipe Bonsenso, a lawyer specializing in aviation and president of the Special Committee on Aeronautical Law of the OAB (Brazilian Bar Association) in São Paulo, a possibility that the company may eventually present to customers who have purchased airline tickets is to transport via road, which continues to operate.
There is also the alternative of requesting a refund, with a period of up to 12 months for the company to refund the amount, says the specialist. He acknowledges, however, that it is difficult to know if the company will have the financial capacity to pay these debts.
The lawyer’s recommendation is that injured consumers send an email to the company, in order to have some type of documentation to be presented in case they file a lawsuit. “Unfortunately, the passenger ends up being helpless.”
Fernando Capez, executive director of Procon-SP, says that Itapemirim’s decision harmed thousands of consumers, who are still waiting for a response from the company.
“Monday (20) the Procon will notify the company and must apply a heavy fine,” said Capez, in a video, which also claims compensation for moral and material damages, given the disrespect and serious violation of consumer rights.
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I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
