Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) on 24 February 2026 launched two 90-day sector consultations on proposed Instruções Suplementares (IS) that could reshape airline maintenance programmes and, by extension, fleet availability for corporate travel. IS 120-017A sets statistical standards for reliability-centred maintenance (RCM), allowing carriers to extend component overhaul intervals when justified by performance data, while IS 91.409-002A establishes mandatory engine trend-monitoring practices to prevent power-loss incidents in flight.
The regulator says the draft rules mirror best practices already accepted by the US FAA and EASA, and could save Brazilian operators more than R$ 120 million per year in direct maintenance costs. Lower costs often translate into additional frequencies on marginal domestic routes—a boost for regional business connectivity—while enhanced engine health monitoring is expected to improve on-time performance across the network.
![ANAC Opens Public Consultations on Reliability-Based Maintenance Rules Aimed at Cutting Airline Costs]()
For corporate travel planners adjusting schedules around these prospective maintenance reforms, VisaHQ offers a streamlined way to secure the necessary Brazilian visas for crew members and assignees. Its online platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) tracks the most up-to-date entry requirements, delivers guided application support, and can coordinate courier services—letting mobility managers focus on flight availability rather than paperwork.
Stakeholders, including air-operators’ certificate (AOC) holders, MRO providers and industry associations, have until 4 December 2026 to file comments via ANAC’s Consultas Setoriais portal. Final adoption is pencilled in for Q2 2027, after which carriers will have a phased implementation window of 12 to 24 months.
Global mobility teams should track the rule-making process because extended maintenance intervals could widen spare-aircraft ratios and lower the risk of last-minute flight cancellations that disrupt assignment travel. Conversely, stricter engine-trend requirements may initially raise maintenance-related groundings as airlines fine-tune data-collection systems.
The regulator says the draft rules mirror best practices already accepted by the US FAA and EASA, and could save Brazilian operators more than R$ 120 million per year in direct maintenance costs. Lower costs often translate into additional frequencies on marginal domestic routes—a boost for regional business connectivity—while enhanced engine health monitoring is expected to improve on-time performance across the network.
For corporate travel planners adjusting schedules around these prospective maintenance reforms, VisaHQ offers a streamlined way to secure the necessary Brazilian visas for crew members and assignees. Its online platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) tracks the most up-to-date entry requirements, delivers guided application support, and can coordinate courier services—letting mobility managers focus on flight availability rather than paperwork.
Stakeholders, including air-operators’ certificate (AOC) holders, MRO providers and industry associations, have until 4 December 2026 to file comments via ANAC’s Consultas Setoriais portal. Final adoption is pencilled in for Q2 2027, after which carriers will have a phased implementation window of 12 to 24 months.
Global mobility teams should track the rule-making process because extended maintenance intervals could widen spare-aircraft ratios and lower the risk of last-minute flight cancellations that disrupt assignment travel. Conversely, stricter engine-trend requirements may initially raise maintenance-related groundings as airlines fine-tune data-collection systems.
