Senate keeps free to check luggage on flights

In a defeat for the government of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), the Senate maintained this Tuesday (17) the ban on charging for checking baggage on national and international flights.

The senators symbolically approved the text of the provisional measure establishing the Simple Flight program, with changes in the rules for the air sector.

However, as there was no agreement, the item related to baggage had to be voted on separately from the main text, with the gratuity being resumed by 53 votes in favor and 16 against.

The provisional measure must pass a new vote in the Chamber of Deputies.

In the last days of last year, the federal government edited the provisional measure for Voo Simples. During its processing by the Chamber, the federal deputies included a provision that prohibits the charge for checking bags of up to 23 kilos on domestic flights and a suitcase of up to 30 kilos on international flights.

The senators had been indicating that they would keep the gratuity, making this clear in a public hearing with the presence of representatives of the airlines and the government. The proposal’s rapporteur himself, senator Carlos Fávaro (PL-MG), had indicated to the other senators that he would keep it free. However, after suffering pressure from the federal government, the Minas Gerais parliamentarian — a pre-candidate for the government of Minas, by Bolsonaro’s party — went back and resumed charging for the dispatch of luggage in his text.

Viana argued in his text that free access would have a significant impact on the airline industry, make it difficult for new companies to enter the Brazilian market and the lack of competition would result in higher ticket prices.

“It is to some extent understandable the feeling of frustration that led to the approval of this measure. After all, in discussions in recent years about ending the inclusion of 23 kg luggage on all tickets, it was argued – correctly – that this would be a factor that would help to lower ticket prices. So there was the expectation that we would already be enjoying lower prices today”, says the text of the rapporteur.

The pro-government senator, then, says that the rise in the dollar and the price of fuel had a hard hit on the sector.

“The feeling that costs and prices are high cannot be answered by a measure to raise costs. Elevation of costs that penalizes current operators and contributes to warding off potential competitors”, he adds, when justifying why he resumed free.

Senators, however, reacted to Senator Carlos Viana’s report. They presented so-called “highlights”, items that are voted on separately from the main text.

The position of other government senators has also changed in recent days.

“And if we mean that in the past the argument for reducing airfare was this [reduzir o valor da tarifa], sorry: the air ticket does not include the price of the luggage. Airfare is mainly composed today of the price of fuel, its dollar parity”, said the leader of the PL, Carlos Portinho (RJ).

“I am sure that, if the amendment of the House of Representatives that gives free baggage is maintained, in addition to everyone paying this price, I have no doubt: it will be diluted among all”, he added, adding that there is no “lunch free”.

During a hearing at the Infrastructure Commission, several senators harshly criticized the airlines. They charged that airlines increased ticket prices, even though they received substantial resources from the federal government during the new coronavirus pandemic. And they warned at the time that they would keep the gratuity.

At the time, airline representatives blamed the rise in the dollar and the price of plane kerosene to justify the increase in tickets. And they added that determining gratuity would be the “wrong medicine”.

The MP approved this Tuesday also allows the construction of airfields without prior authorization and authorizes companies to bar undisciplined passengers for up to one year.

The text of the provisional measure also revokes the obligation to revalidate grants to companies every five years and eliminates the need for authorization for foreign companies to operate and the requirement for a CNPJ and a branch in Brazilian territory.