The Senate of Brazil has finally passed an Open Skies agreement with the United States. The new bill, which would open up flights between the U.S. and Brazil for U.S. carriers and allow higher foreign investment into Brazilian airlines, only awaits a final signature from Brazil’s President.
This new agreement will open up a partnership between the American Airlines group and the LATAM Group. This should lead to more flight frequency and lower airfares for consumers.
The Open Skies Treaty was originally signed between the two countries in 2011 . However, opposition from Brazilian airlines forced the government in that country to delay finalizing the agreement. Many of the start-up airlines in Brazil felt that by allowing more American carriers into the country, they would not have the ability to grow.
Brazil has been aggressively trying to increase tourism to its country. In January, the government eased its restrictions on obtaining a visa and is allowing online applications to be processed. This has already increased the number of applicants by 70 percent, and the government is hoping to enhance these figures by allowing more airlines to operate within the country.
Flights to Brazil are anticipated to increase by a minimum of 30 percent almost immediately. This is just counting on flights between Brazil and the United States. Even though the U.S. is the favorite vacation spot among the Brazilians, the opportunity to use airlines that are interconnected with worldwide carriers may increase travel from Brazil to other countries as well.
By Adam Luehrs for Get.com
