Galeão: airlines expand restricted flights at Santos Dumont – 08/02/2023 – Market

Airlines begin movements to increase the offer of flights at Tom Jobim International Airport, Galeão, in the north zone of Rio de Janeiro.

The expansion comes amid the expectation of restrictions on flow in Santos Dumont. The reduction in supply at the terminal located in the center of Rio should be implemented gradually starting in October.

With this, the RIOgaleão concessionaire projects a growth of at least 44% in Galeão domestic flights in the second half of 2023, compared to the same period in 2022. For international routes, the estimated increase is at least 41%.

Despite the more favorable scenario in relation to 2022, the total number of flights on Galeão in the second half of this year should correspond to just over half (53%) of the same period in 2019, in the pre-pandemic period, says the concessionaire, without detailing the absolute numbers.

The gradual reduction in supply at Santos Dumont, starting in October, was announced in June by Minister Márcio França (Ports and Airports). The measure seeks to direct more flights to Galeão, which has been emptied in recent years.

The federal government’s plan came after pressure from politicians and businessmen in Rio. Local leaders consider that the restrictions are necessary to avoid a relationship of cannibalism between Rio’s airports, separated by less than 20 kilometers.

With the reduction, Santos Dumont should only receive the air link with Congonhas, in São Paulo, and the connections with Brasília. Over the months, the other domestic flights involving Rio should be transferred to Galeão.

Administered by the state company Infraero, Santos Dumont currently connects Rio to different regions of the country. Galeão, in turn, operates national and international flights, but it has been having more difficulties to resume activities.

In the view of local leaders, with few domestic connections, the terminal in the north zone is unable to expand international routes. The RIOgaleão concessionaire is controlled by Changi, from Singapore.

Goal

On Monday (31st), Gol Linhas Aéreas announced the expansion of flights on Galeão as of October 1st. The company claims that the offer at the airport will increase by more than 70%, adding landings and takeoffs. The number of markets served by the company at the terminal will reach 22.

As of October 1st, Gol flights involving five cities (Campinas, Caxias do Sul, Curitiba, Florianópolis and Porto Alegre) will connect with Rio through Galeão. On October 29, says the company, the Santa Catarina municipality of Navegantes will also be added to the same list.

At the same time, Gol will continue with direct flights from Galeão to 13 other domestic terminals (Congonhas, Guarulhos, Aracaju, Belém, Brasília, Fortaleza, Foz do Iguaçu, João Pessoa, Maceió, Manaus, Natal, Recife and Salvador).

In the international market, Gol claims that connections from the Rio de Janeiro terminal to two airports in Buenos Aires (Aeroparque and Ezeiza) and to Córdoba, in Argentina, are maintained.

According to the company, customers with tickets already purchased for trips starting in October involving Santos Dumont will be informed in case of changes.

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Latam, in turn, will start selling tickets for the Galeão-Porto Seguro (regular) and Galeão-Caxias do Sul (seasonal) routes in the coming days, which will open later this year.

In July, the company expanded the Galeão-Fortaleza connection from one to two daily flights. In November, it will increase the Galeão-Brasília route from 7 to 11 weekly flights.

Currently, Latam operates an average of 146 domestic flights per week at the Rio de Janeiro airport to or from four other Brazilian terminals (Brasília, Foz do Iguaçu, Fortaleza and Guarulhos).

In the international market, the company uses Galeão for routes with Buenos Aires (Aeroparque and Ezeiza), Lima and Santiago. In all, it operates an average of 68 international flights per week at the Rio de Janeiro terminal.

“LATAM always evaluates market opportunities and any new route will be communicated in due course by the company”, he says.

Blue

Azul has an average of 24 flights per week to Galeão from Campinas and Recife. The company is studying expanding operations, offering direct connections from Rio airport to cities in the Northeast.

Azul states that “it is still waiting for the definition to disclose more details of the operation”.

Concession depends on court decision

In the first half, Galeão recorded 3.3 million paid passengers, adding national and international departures and arrivals, according to data from Anac (National Civil Aviation Agency).

The contingent was 16.6% above the result for the same period last year (2.8 million). Even so, it still remained 48.2% below the January-June 2019 range (6.4 million), before the pandemic.

Santos Dumont recorded 5.8 million paid passengers in the first half of 2023, adding national departures and arrivals, according to Anac.

Handling at the central airport was 31.9% above the same period in 2022 (4.4 million). It also surpassed the same range of 2019 by 29.1% (4.5 million), in the pre-pandemic.

Galeão’s future depends on contractual issues. In February 2022, RIOgaleão announced a request to return the concession. At the time, the company associated the measure with economic difficulties exacerbated by the pandemic.

As a result, the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government began planning a joint auction for Galeão and Santos Dumont. By this logic, the same investor group could manage the two terminals – which did not happen.

With the change of government, the debate gained new contours. According to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) management, RIOgaleão signaled an interest in putting together an agreement to stay at the international airport.

The legal viability, however, is uncertain. The federal government decided to consult the TCU (Tribunal de Contas da União) on the agenda. A position of the organ is expected for the hit to advance or be discarded.

In July, the TCU suspended the judgment that could have a direct impact on the Galeão concession. When consulted, RIOgaleão did not comment on the matter.