São Paulo – The National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) and the General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia (GACA) signed on Monday (2) a cooperation agreement in civil aviation aiming to expand the exchange of knowledge and improve the passenger experience in air travel. There are still no nonstop flights between Brazil and Saudi Arabia. The conference ended on Tuesday (3) at a hotel in Rio de Janeiro’s Barra da Tijuca.
According to information made public by ANAC, the meeting was an opportunity to “insert” the Brazilian market into Saudi investment strategies in airport infrastructure, attract investment to Brazil, generate more integration of aviation systems, and discuss joint solutions in common challenges, such as drones and evtols (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft, also known as “flying cars.”
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), by participating in this meeting, the Saudi kingdom seeks to “prove” its global leadership in the aviation sector and its commitment to expanding and strengthening its cooperation with Brazil. The president of GACA, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, stated at the meeting despite the long distance that separates Brazil and Saudi Arabia, the two countries have a “long history of partnership and cooperation” in different industries.
The meeting had the participation of authorities such as Brazil’s chief of Staff of the Presidency, Rui Costa; minister of Integration and Regional Development, Waldez Góes; minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho; ANAC director, Tiago Pereira (pictured above, with Duailej), and the Saudi ambassador to Brazil, Faisal Ghulam.
In addition to government authorities, the meeting brought representatives from the private sector, including Brazilian airlines Latam, Gol and Azul; aircraft and equipment manufacturers Helibras and Embraer; representatives from the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil); and executives from Saudi Logistics Services (SAL) and Saudi Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI).
Saudi Arabia is investing in the aviation sector as part of its plan to boost the number of tourists by 2030. Official estimates project that Saudi air traffic could reach 330 million passengers by the end of this decade. The Gulf country’s largest airline is Saudia. Recently, a new company was established, Riyadh Air.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
