Brazil’s Aviation Authority Permanently Shuts Down Voepass After Fatal Crash and Safety Failures

Brasília – June 25, 2025 — Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) has officially and permanently revoked the operating license of Voepass Linhas Aéreas, a regional airline formerly known as Passaredo, following a fatal crash and a pattern of serious safety violations.

The decision follows a months-long investigation triggered by the August 2024 crash of a Voepass aircraft near São Paulo, which claimed the lives of all 62 passengers and crew on board.

In the wake of the tragedy, ANAC placed Voepass under heightened surveillance. Inspectors uncovered that the airline had failed to complete 20 mandatory inspections across seven aircraft, resulting in a staggering 2,687 flights operating without proper maintenance between August 15, 2024, and March 11, 2025.

While ANAC initially suspended the airline’s operations in May, Voepass appealed the ruling. The matter was escalated to the agency’s board of directors, who have now upheld the permanent shutdown.

Voepass operated short-haul routes across Brazil and had been a part of the country’s regional aviation landscape for decades. The closure marks one of the most significant enforcement actions by ANAC in recent years and underscores the regulator’s zero-tolerance approach to aviation safety violations.