Study shows 231% increase in canceled flights compared to 2022; 20 million suffered some type of delay
The number of passengers affected by flight cancellations in Brazil more than tripled in 2 years, according to a survey by travel assistance company.
In 2024, 4.3 million people were prevented from traveling due to flight cancellations, while in 2022 there were 1.3 million — an increase of 231%. In 2023, 3.1 million passengers were affected, representing an increase of 39% compared to the previous year.
In total, delays and cancellations of more than 15 minutes affected 19.7 million passengers in 2024, equivalent to 1 in 5 travelers. In the previous year, the number was similar, with 19.2 million passengers affected. In 2022, there were 13.3 million, or 1 in every 6 passengers.
More serious delays, exceeding 2 hours, affected 877.2 thousand passengers in 2024 (1 in every 113). In 2023, there were 855.9 thousand (1 in every 116), and, in 2022, 591.8 thousand (1 in every 145).
In 2024, the airline sector in Brazil 118.3 million passengers to national and international destinations. This is the second best performance in history, approaching the level recorded pre-pandemic. In 2019, 118.7 million passengers were transported – a record level.
Data from 2024 represents an increase of 5% compared to 2023, in the first year of the president’s third government (PT), when 112.7 million passengers were transported.
Of the total transported in 2024, 93.4 million passengers traveled to domestic destinations and 24.9 million to international destinations – this last result represents a historic record.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
Brazilian legislation offers protection to passengers in cases of flight interruption, based on the and the standards of (National Civil Aviation Agency). According to AirHelp, 1 in 19 passengers in 2024 met the criteria to request financial compensation for flight delays or cancellations of more than 2 hours.
Airlines may be held directly responsible for technical problems, lack of crew or other failures under their control, with average compensation of R$10,000 per passenger in cases of proven moral damage.
METHODOLOGY
According to AirHelp, its analysis methodology is based on scheduled flights operated at Brazilian airports contained in the company’s global flight database.
