Brazil expels Dynamic Airways

- cracked windshield caused problems – Gouveia

By Zena Henry Reports out of neighbouring Brazil have stated that American charter company, Dynamic Airways was last Tuesday

Capt. Gerry Gouveia

ousted from the Portuguese-speaking country after reportedly flying passengers illegally to attend games at the FIFA World Cup which the country is currently hosting. According to the reports, in a joint operation with the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Brazilian Authorities, two of the company’s wide-body aircraft were “expelled from Brazil on Tuesday (June 24), following a week of operating domestic flights without governmental authorization.” The report stated that tickets for the ousted flights were sold by non-Brazilian travel agencies and a number of foreigners who had gone to see the games had to be arranged on alternate flights. The Dynamic Airways planes were not only expelled for cabotage (referring in this case to the transport of passengers between two points in the same country by an aircraft registered in another country), they were also pulled for operating without having obtained the necessary slots. It was stated that Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) conducted operations for the World Cup, monitoring foreign charter companies carrying passengers for the football games. Irregularities in two flights operated by Dynamic Airways were identified, generating irregular occupation of the courtyards at the airports of São GonÇalo do Amarante, Fortaleza and Manaus and inconvenience to passengers in those terminals. “For this reason, the company was banned by the Administrator to conduct operations in the country on 22/06 (June).” It was stated that the administrative process was identified for breaches of various ANAC provisions – failures in the provision of passenger handling, operations without landing and takeoff times (slots) and practice of cabotage – the sole operation of domestic companies. The chartered Dynamic flights were authorized by the Administrator, “solely for the transport of the delegation of the United States to Ghana Airport São GonÇalo do Amarante (RN), and for passenger transport between the same locations.” However, the survey showed illegal operations with passengers on domestic sectors operated in the cities of Natal, Fortaleza and Manaus were identified. “After notifying the legal representative of the company in the country and to seek their contingency plan, the FAA required the withdrawal of the aircraft from the Brazilian territory. The coordination of the operation was done in partnership with the U.S. authorities, such as the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Airspace Control (DECEA), the Air Force Command. The embassies of all countries with passengers transported by the company were also driven by the Administrator to assist in monitoring the provision of assistance (Embassies of Mexico, United States, Ghana and Nigeria).”

Dynamic

It was noted that the issue of fines, among others, were looked at as the US Authorities got involved in rectifying the matter. Dynamic Airways recently commenced service on the Guyana/New York route and already experienced numerous problems on the NY leg. Roraima Airways is Dynamic’s local partner. Roraima’s head, Gerry Gouveia stated that while the Guyanese operations are not connected to what happened in Brazil, what happened there was a result of a cracked windshield. While clearing up other negative issues facing the airline, Gouveia explained that Dynamic was in no way selling tickets for domestic flights in Brazil. He said the airline was chartered by a company to take 220 persons from Houston, Texas to Brazil. He said the passengers expected to land at Manaus Airport and then onto Natal. However, when the passengers arrived at the first airport, a crack was noticed in the plane’s windshield and they had to switch planes. As a result, Gouveia said that the flight schedule mixed up, so the plane got to Natal late. The plane was also supposed to leave Natal within a certain time, since planes could not fly over the stadium during the games. Dynamic was then stuck at the airport in Natal and in addition to the time issues etc., authorities zeroed in. “Dynamic was not in Brazil selling tickets or picking up new passengers, they were moving the exact passengers that they had flown in,” Gouveia claimed.