Nielmar de Oliveira
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Rio - Around 200 foreign airlines are accepting tickets for flights on Varig, which also resumed its flights to New York (US). According to a note released by the Brazilian airline, the companies are continuing to embark passengers with Varig tickets, depending on seat availability.

Varig informs that the temporary suspension declared by the Clearing House, a compensation chamber operated by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), has not prevented affiliated airlines from accepting passengers with Varig tickets. The Clearing House is used by the airlines to balance their ticket purchase accounts.

The 18 members of another association, the Star Alliance, which includes such airlines as TAP, United Airlines, and Lufthansa, are also accepting the tickets, according to the note. Moreover, only 11 of the more than 200 foreign companies affiliated with IATA have announced that they are not accepting passengers holding Varig tickets. The 11 include Delta (US), Alitalia (Italy), and JAL (Japan).

According to the Varig press office, the IATA suspension may be lifted as soon as the company repays its debt. Nevertheless, IATA still requires Varig to maintain a US$ 24 million security deposit in the compensation chamber to cover eventual payments.

Translation: David Silberstein