SAO PAULO, Aug 22 (V7N) - Brazilian airline Voepass has announced a reduction in service to nine locations following a tragic crash earlier this month that resulted in the deaths of 62 people in São Paulo state. The airline, Brazil's fourth-largest by market share, stated that the reduction is "necessary" due to the loss of one of its ATR turboprop aircraft, which crashed on August 9.

Voepass, which had previously operated flights to 47 destinations, will halt daily flights to the nine locations at least until October 26. This measure is intended to minimize potential delays and cancellations as the airline reassesses its network and plans for the upcoming season.

The ATR 72-600 aircraft involved in the crash was on a flight from Cascavel, Paraná, to São Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport when it went down in a residential area near Vinhedo, about 80 kilometers northwest of São Paulo. All 62 passengers on board were killed.

The towns affected by the service interruption starting September 2 include Cascavel, São José do Rio Preto, and Rio Verde. In the northeastern cities of Salvador, Natal, and Mossoró, operations will be suspended beginning August 26. Voepass had already halted flights to and from Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte, and Porto Seguro earlier this month.

Following the crash, Brazil's civil aviation authority, ANAC, announced increased monitoring of Voepass to ensure that its services are maintained under adequate conditions. Some experts have suggested that icing may have contributed to the crash, as severe icing warnings had been issued for the region on the day of the accident.

Despite the tragic event, data from FlightAware shows that only two of the 190 ATR 72 flights operated domestically in Brazil on August 9 were canceled, both by Voepass. At least 13 different ATR aircraft were in operation in the region where the accident occurred.