Brazil's airline industry appears to have bounced back from the strong impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in December expects to be operating at 80 percent of the capacity it registered in the same month last year, industry sources said Thursday.

 

During the pandemic lockdown period, Brazil's average daily flights fell from original 2,500 to about 200, Ronei Glanzmann, head of the National Civil Aviation Secretariat, said at a forum sponsored by the Ministry of Infrastructure.

 

In the months with the highest surge of COVID-19 cases, Brazilian airlines reduced their operations by 99 percent, he said.

 

In recent weeks, there has been an uptick in the activities of Brazilian airlines. Those "are impressive numbers compared to other South American countries," said Glanzmann.

 

International flights in December are expected to be at about 45 percent of the capacity seen a year ago.

 

"In the international market, the recovery is slower because we depend on other markets," he said.