Brasília – Notwithstanding the mega sports events due in Brazil over the next few years (the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and Olympic Games in 2016), the increase in number of Brazilians who will take to air transport calls for urgent investment from the government. The warning was made by Carlos Campos, a researcher at the Institute of Applied Economic Research (Ipea).
According to Campos, most of the projects for expanding the airports in the 12 cities that will host World Cup matches are undersized. "The growth of [domestic] demand alone would cause 13 terminals surveyed to start operating beyond their [projected] capacity."
In a technical statement issued today (14th), in Brasília, researchers from the Ipea, an organisation linked to the Secretariat of Strategic Affairs of the Brazilian Presidency, estimate that should the 10% forecast of average annual growth in demand be confirmed, then the number of passengers by 2014 would exceed the projected capacity of the airports of Fortaleza (124%), Brasília (115%), Guarulhos-SP (112%), Salvador (105%), Cuiabá (112%), Confins-state of Mato Grosso (125%), Porto Alegre (122%), Curitiba (106%), Natal (186%) and Recife (109%).
The survey mentions that from 2003 to 2010, passenger turnover grew by 20.4% per year on average. Only the airports of Manaus (state of Amazonas), Campinas (São Paulo) and Rio de Janeiro (Galeão airport) would be in a comfortable situation, operating below 80% of their capacity.
"The figures show that the airport sector is experiencing a critical moment. The fact that the demand has grown is very positive, but now the necessary investment must be made to accommodate it. And there is no need to wait until 2014, because we are already facing trouble. Out of the 20 leading Brazilian airports, 17 are operating above 80% of their capacity," said Campos.
According to the technician, even if approved, the hypotheses of listing the capital of the Brazilian Airport Infrastructure Company (Infraero) or counting on the participation of the private initiative to manage and operate terminals would take a few years to take effect, and cannot be considered short-term solutions.
"Those are viable alternatives, but would not have immediate results. In other words, the listing of Infraero and private sector participation will take a few years to give results, and cannot be counted as a solution to the existing bottlenecks by 2014," said Campos. He also mentioned, as a bottleneck, the obstacles imposed by the government’s environmental licensing organizations before giving clearance to airport infrastructure works. According to him, these organizations have "systematically delayed works."
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
