Brazil’s civil aviation regulator Anac has suspended operations of regional airline Voepass following the August 9 crash of an ATR-72-500 aircraft in São Paulo that killed 62 people, O Globo reported.

A mechanic from the company, speaking anonymously to TV Globo’s Fantástico, alleged persistent maintenance issues with the aircraft and claimed superiors insisted on keeping it in service. The crash is under investigation by the Aeronautical Accident Prevention Center (Cenipa).

The mechanic said Voepass salvaged parts from scrapped aircraft for maintenance, a practice allowed under regulations, but allegedly conducted improperly. “Voepass does not provide any support to our maintenance team... Maintenance knew the plane was in bad condition, reported it, and they [management] still forced us to fly it,” he said.

Lessors also accused the airline of stripping essential components from leased aircraft, including engines. Messages retrieved from co-pilot Humberto Alencar’s phone indicated concerns about fleet safety, with one crew member describing the aircraft as “tired planes” with malfunctioning doors.

Anac cited the carrier's failure to address identified irregularities as the reason for the suspension. Voepass denied wrongdoing, stating that Cenipa’s preliminary report confirmed the aircraft’s airworthiness and that all its procedures comply with aviation regulations. The company said it intends to resume operations as soon as possible.

In February, Voepass filed a request in a São Paulo court for preparatory relief to restructure short-term debts and manage cash flow, a bankruptcy protection process. The move, stemming from the accident's fallout, signals a potential judicial recovery filing. Meanwhile, LATAM Airlines announced last week plans to terminate its codeshare agreement with Voepass in the second half of this year, as reported by Reuters.

The ATR 72 turboprop tragically crashed in Vinhedo, 78 km north of Sao Paulo, while en route to Guarulhos International Airport. The aircraft was carrying 58 passengers and four crew members.