Salvador Bahia Airport Joins National Campaign Against Human Trafficking

As part of the month dedicated to raising awareness and combating human trafficking, Salvador Bahia Airport, a member of the VINCI Airports network, is taking part in a nationwide campaign against human trafficking and forced labor. Under the slogan "Human trafficking is real," the initiative is coordinated by Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) in partnership with the Brazilian Association for the Defense of Women, Children and Youth (ASBRAD), the Brazilian Labor Prosecution Office (MPT), the Liberdade no Ar (Freedom in the Air) project, and 14 other supporting institutions, including Salvador Bahia Airport.

The campaign aims to raise awareness among passengers, aviation professionals, families and society at large about an increasingly concerning issue: the use of the internet as a gateway for the recruitment and exploitation of children and adolescents. The campaign will be displayed in passenger terminals across different transport hubs, including airports and bus stations, as well as football stadiums and other high-traffic public spaces. In Brazil, reports of human rights violations can be made through the national hotline Dial 100, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Recent figures underscore the importance of the initiative. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in 2024, one in every three victims of human trafficking worldwide was a child or adolescent. In 2025, UNICEF released a study confirming the alarming trend, showing that 52% of trafficking cases began through online contact—reinforcing the relevance of the campaign's message. In Brazil alone, SaferNet identified 49,000 webpages containing evidence of online child sexual abuse in 2024.

"Every day, thousands of people pass through our airport, and we recognize our responsibility to help raise awareness about issues that directly affect society, such as human trafficking and labor performed under conditions analogous to slavery. As part of the VINCI Airports network, we maintain a year-round agenda of initiatives focused on promoting human rights, diversity, inclusion and the protection of vulnerable people. We believe that information is one of the most effective tools for preventing these crimes. This campaign reinforces our ongoing commitment while encouraging passengers, employees and the entire airport community to recognize warning signs and know how to respond to any suspected case. Combating these violations is a shared responsibility, and every informed individual can make a difference," said Daniela Franco, Communications Manager at Salvador Bahia Airport.

An institutional video has also been produced to support the campaign, encouraging reflection on how danger can emerge silently online and highlighting the importance of adult supervision and guidance in protecting children and adolescents in digital environments.

Freedom in the Air Project

The campaign is part of the Liberdade no Ar (Freedom in the Air) project, an initiative created by Brazil's Labor Prosecution Office (MPT) to prevent human trafficking and combat labor performed under conditions analogous to slavery. The project brings together public institutions and international organizations, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the National Secretariat of Justice of the Ministry of Justice, ANAC, Infraero, ASBRAD, and the Blue Heart Campaign Against Human Trafficking.