Brazil's civil aviation authority (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil - ANAC) has suspended all aircraft certification actions and pilot and flight attendant examinations as part of a broader 40% reduction in inspection activities following a BRL24 million reais (USD4.6 million) freeze on federal funding.

“ANAC reiterates that budget cuts affecting core activities of regulatory agencies cause direct harm to Brazilian society, as well as a drop in revenue, as in the case of suspension of certification actions. Without certification, no operation of new aircraft occurs in the Brazilian civil aviation market,” the agency said in a statement.

Initial inspections of new aircraft imported into the country, whether new or used, private or commercial, are suspended. These inspections are required for the issuance of airworthiness certificates. Maintenance operations may also be affected, as regulatory approval is often required prior to return to service.

The authority further halted certification exams for pilots and flight attendants, laid off outsourced workers, interrupted investments in information technology, and cancelled participation in several events.

ANAC president Tiago Faierstein said the agency was working with the government to restore funding. The Brazilian government announced a freeze of BRL22.1 billion (USD4.3 billion) in the federal budget due to increased projected spending in other areas.

In a statement to ch-aviation, Amaro Aviation said the impact of ANAC's partial suspension is very limited. “The on-site activities required are related to inspections of aircraft being incorporated into the fleet and can be carried out in São Paulo by employees based in the city, without the need for travel, which would otherwise generate transportation expenses that could affect operations.”

LATAM Airlines Brasil told ch-aviation all procedures with ANAC are proceeding as normal. “The company continues to assess the potential effects of the measures announced by the agency,” the statement added.

GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes and Líder Aviação declined to comment, while Embraer, Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras, Alljet Táxi Aéreo, and Upstar Aviation did not respond.