Airports and air travel in Brazil
The sheer size of Brazil means that flying is often one of the only options for those looking to travel around the country.
However, concerns have been raised in recent years that the airport infrastructure in Brazil may not be able to support the growing numbers of foreign visitors to the country or the increasingly affluent domestic travellers.
As the host of the Fifa World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Brazil is also expecting to see sports fans flocking to the country in their thousands. And work is now underway to improve the country’s infrastructure ahead of these big events, which is good news for Brazilian property owners.
What’s more, as long-haul destinations grow in popularity among UK holidaymakers, airlines are considering offering more flights between the two countries.
Thomson Airways recently announced that it had purchased new Dreamliner aircrafts from Boeing, and said that it may look at using the aircraft on services from Bristol airport to Brazil.
Who operates the airports in Brazil?
Many of the airports in Brazil are operated by Infraero, a government-owned company that is responsible for 67 airports, 81 air navigation stations and 32 international freight terminals, which together account for 97 per cent of Brazil’s air traffic.
Some 96 million passengers pass through the 67 airports each year and the company said that it is currently working on an "ambitious" investment plan that will create 50,000 jobs.
Criticism was issued earlier in the year suggesting that many of the country’s airports currently deliver poor service and passengers are forced to wait in long queues, highlighting that this could become an issue later in the decade.
Infraero was quoted by the Financial Times at the time as saying: "It is true that if investments were not carried out, there would be problems in meeting demand. However, that is not even a plausible scenario. Many projects are ready, tenders are under way, and work is already taking place."
Investment in Brazil’s airports
Since then Brazil’s government has also increased investment within the country’s transport infrastructure, including the airports and ports, in preparation for the Olympic Games. Some R$5.5 billion has been allocated to renovate 13 airports in the country, with an additional R$740 million being allocated to improve seven ports.
Upon announcing the investment, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said: "I will do anything that might be necessary to lead the way to a good accomplishment of the 2014 World Cup and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games."
Domestic flights
Brazil’s airlines have also been investing in their fleets recently, which is good news for Brazilian property owners looking to explore their new country.
The carrier Azul Linhas Aareas recently signed a contract for the purchase of 40 aircraft from the Brazilian manufacturer Embraer.
Each ATR 72-600 aircraft has 70 seats and will allow the airline to expand its network of domestic flights to small regional destinations. The company, which serves 21 destinations in Brazil, also purchased five 195 jets from the manufacturer earlier in the month.
David Neeleman, founder and chairman of the board of Azul, said: "Our commitment for this brand new fleet of ATR 72-600 will enable Azul to serve even more cities in the vast Brazilian territory, linking smaller communities with major cities with seamless connectivity between our jets and the new ATRs."
Destinations served by the carrier include Natal, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife, Sao Paulo, Campinas and Brasilia.
