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The Federal Court determined, at the request of the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), that the Union and the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) guarantee the adaptation of airports to technical accessibility standards.
The entities were also sentenced to pay R$1 million for collective moral damages due to the failure to monitor and regulate the airport sector. The sentence was signed on December 12 of this year.
Entities must also pay R$1 million for collective moral damages due to failure to monitor and regulate the airport sector/Illustrative photo: Canva
The MPF’s request came from the regional attorney for Citizen’s Rights in Acre, Lucas Costa Almeida Dias, after identifying several irregularities regarding accessibility for people with disabilities at the airports of Rio Branco and Cruzeiro do Sul, in Acre.
“A lack of tactile signage was detected on airport floors and surfaces, lack of accessibility for wheelchair users in the banking terminal, insufficient seats for people with disabilities, presence of physical obstacles, in addition to cracks and flaws in the airport sidewalk”, says the MPF.
The prosecutor said that the flaws detected were serious and requested measures with local and national effects.
In addition to the municipalities of Rio Branco and Cruzeiro do Sul, the Amazônia Airport Concessionaire, the Union, Anac and Infraero (Brazilian Airport Infrastructure Company) were also contacted.
According to the preliminary decision, the Union must communicate the irregularities presented by the MPF to members of the National Consumer Protection System to inspect airports and airlines and Anac must monitor compliance with technical accessibility standards by airport operators, including regarding annual employee training for adequate assistance to people with disabilities.
Anac and the Union must also:
- Carry out, within 60 days, a survey of all airports with an annual flow of more than 100 thousand passengers that do not have a telescopic walkway or electromechanical lifting system (ambulift) and adopt measures to require these adjustments.
- Present, within 120 days, an annual inspection schedule for airports with an annual flow of more than 100 thousand passengers that includes, at a minimum, the adequacy of accessibility in furniture, bathrooms, tactile and visual signage, seats and self-service terminals.
- Require airport operators in new airport concessions to have a telescopic walkway or electromechanical lifting system (ambulifit), operated by qualified employees to ensure safe transport for people with disabilities.
The Amazônia Airports Concessionaire must, in turn, acquire ramps, telescopic walkways or electromechanical lifting systems (ambulifit) for the Cruzeiro do Sul and Rio Branco airports within 60 days, in addition to providing employees capable of operating them, independent of the conclusion of agreements or contracts with air operators.
The municipalities of Rio Branco and Cruzeiro do Sul must carry out maintenance on the roads for people to circulate (public sidewalks), in order to remove cracks and obstacles capable of causing accidents, through an execution plan with a maximum period of six months to complete the renovations. .
The action remains ongoing until all requests made by the MPF are definitively judged.
With information from the MPF.
