Brazil’s AirportsA primeira grande

privatização do Governo

Dilma – de três importantes

aeroportos – está prestes a decolar,

após greves e adiamentos. Será

que o país dará conta do tráfego

aéreo causado pela Copa? E os

custos envolvidos? Certamente estarão nas

alturas... by bob

moser b2 upper intermediate

Brazil’s airline industry has grown roughly1 12% per year since 2003, and analysts see that growth hold-

ing steady2 through at least 2015 as mil-lions of Brazilians climb out3 of poverty and into the middle class. Of Brazil’s 16 largest airports, nine now operate over recom-mended capacity.With an influx of tourists expected in 2014 and 2016, Brazil’s government has com-mitted this year to start improving key air-ports4 through privatization. Control of three major international airports will be handed off5 in 2012 to the highest private bidder6 chosen in late december or early January, and new terminals will be built that rival7 the world’s largest8. Of the three airports Brazil’s Secretary of Civil aviation chose to kick off9 this first phase of privatization, two are main inter-national gateways10 for the country that are now operating far above11 capacity, and the third is an airport officials say could be-come Brazil’s largest in a few decades. São paulo’s Guarulhos international re-

State and federal governments think the political and commercial will15 is there to boost the profile of Viracopos-Campinas as a major international airport. a high-speed train that would link airports from rio to Campinas has been in a stalemate16 for years, and suffered a failed auction17 in July when domestic and foreign bidders abstained. if the high-speed rail project never materializes, state and airport au-thorities may consider investing in their own train line between São paulo and Vi-racopos airport. Bittencourt is admittedly obsessed with the idea that airports should compete with one another. that’s one reason why the private bidder that takes over18 São paulo’s Guarul-hos international won’t be allowed to also bid for a nearby airport like Viracopos. Foreign companies have entered bids19 for the first three major airports. a govern-ment decision is expected on december 22, but could be delayed into January.the private firms that win could take over operations at each airport by as early

nineteen 1918 eighteen

15 will: vontade 16 stalemate: impasse 17 failed auction:

teve um leilão malsucedido

18 takes over: controlam

19 have entered bids: deram seus lances, apresentaram suas ofertas

20 will hold 51% ownership: serão detentores de 51% das ações

21 interest: (aqui) participação acionária

1 has grown roughly: cresceu cerca de...

2 growth holding steady: crescimento mantendo-se estável

3 climb out of poverty: ascendem da pobreza

4 has committed this year to start improving key airports: comprometeu-se a iniciar este ano a expansão de aeroportos chave.

5 will be handed off: serão concedidos

6 highest private bidder: licitante com o maior lance

7 rival: rivalizarão 8 largest: o maior 9 to kick off - dar o

pontapé inicial 10 gateways: terminais,

portões de entrada e saída

11 far above: muito acima 12 through: ao longo de... 13 land: terreno, área 14 handles: atende, é

capaz de comportar

GLOSSARY

GLOSSARY

| Turbulence? |

around brazil

ceived 26.8 million passengers in 2010, 23% more compared to the year prior. through12 the first six months of 2011, pas-senger traffic rose 16% compared to the same period in 2010. Some 31.5 million passengers passed through Guarulhos in 2011, though it was built to receive 26 million. the second for privatization, Brasilia international, is op-erating almost 50% above capacity for its terminal space today.they’re joined by Viracopos international in Campinas, which currently serves 7 million passengers per year, but has the land13 and accessability to expand to as much as 80 million, SaC says, nearly four times what São paulo’s Guarulhos handles14 today. “Viracopos can be the future, it grew 49% in passenger traffic in 2010,” said Wagner Bittencourt, SaC minister. “there’s a lot of space to grow there. if we can have a train connecting these cities (rio de Janeiro, São paulo and Campinas) in the future, we can create the logistical structure neces-sary to focus growth at Viracopos.”

as march 2012. in august, the new São Gonçalo do amarante airport being built in rio Grande do norte state was the first Brazilian airport put in private hands, con-tracted for 25 years to a Brazilian-argen-tinian firm. private owners will hold 51% ownership20 of their airports, with infraero maintaining a 49% interest21, but supposedly ceding all decision-making power to the private manager. expanding São paulo-Guarulhos will be priority no. 1 of infraero and whatever pri-vate bidder wins control there. an archi-tectural design was chosen for terminal 3 at Gru earlier this year. at 230,000 square metres, it’ll be the largest airport terminal in South america once complete. Forty percent of the terminal should be complete by the end of 2013 at a cost of r$753.96 million. it will partially open in 2014 for the World Cup at a capacity of 7.5 million passengers per annum, and when fully completed terminal 3 will handle 18.8 million visitors per year.”

in Private Hands

(Left) The Viracopos Airport in Campinas could become

one of Brazil’s largest in the future, if privatization goes as planned. (Above)

Architectural designs for Guarulhos Airport’s

Terminal 3 show it could be one of the most modern

terminals in the world.

Infra

ero

Biselli+Katchborian Arquitetos