Galeão and Viracopos will have a solution in the coming days – 05/19/2023 – Market

The Minister of Ports and Airports, Márcio França, said this Friday (19) that the Galeão (Rio de Janeiro) and Viracopos (Campinas) terminals will have a solution in the coming days.

In an interview after the rebidding auction for the Natal airport, França spoke about the current uncertainty of the companies that operate the terminals, which are in the process of defining whether to remain or give up the concession.

“In a few days we will have a solution for both cases,” he said. “If there is no solution, it goes to the re-bidding process, which is the one we are ending here today”, he added.

According to França, the terminals are in different phases. The one in Campinas, for example, would have the most advanced process, on what each of the parties have to reimbursement in the arbitration already placed.

About Galeão, he said that there was a meeting scheduled last week with the governor, Cláudio Castro (PL), and with mayor Eduardo Paes (PSD). “President Lula asked us to hold a meeting with him in person a little later. The president is in Japan today.”

The postponement of the meeting coincided with a request from Changi, Galeão’s operator, for the conversation to be held at the end of May. According to França, they are taking the case to the company’s Board in Singapore.

“They told me personally that they want to give up the waiver, but they haven’t done that yet with documents. To start a procedure, we have to start with that document”, he said.

Galeão is going through an emptying process. In February, the RIOGaleão concessionaire submitted a request to the government for the return of the international airport, citing the impacts of the economic crisis and Covid-19 on the aviation sector.

França said that it called the TCU (Union Court of Auditors) to confirm whether it is possible for an operator to withdraw the withdrawal. In the understanding of the ministry and the AGU (Advocacy General of the Union), there is a possibility.

“In two weeks we should have a note from the Court of Auditors if that is possible”, he stated.

In the minister’s evaluation, the objective of previous administrations with port and airport concessions was to raise more revenue and put more money in the box. Now, he says that the government’s concern is with a quality and lasting service.

“Very high grants often end up implying difficulty at the time of the operation”, he said. “The operation itself has a surplus, but the company has to pay the grant it made back there.”

Campinas airport is one of those with a surplus. “Viracopos is in the same situation as Galeão, only a little further ahead. The concessionaire said he didn’t want it anymore because of the amount of the grant. Now, more recently, he said he would like to stay. Hence the origin of the question: can we accept a waiver of resignation? That’s what we are deciding”, he said.

Ticket program at R$ 200 should be announced in August

During the interview, França also spoke about the program that the federal government is offering airline tickets for R$200. The plan is to launch it in the second half, in August.

The idea of ​​the project is to work with seat occupation. According to him, in 2022, Brazil had 100 million tickets sold, which he considers to be a high number. “The problem is that these 100 million tickets are issued only to 10% of Brazilians. The other 90% do not fly,” he said.

Another front that the ministry considers to popularize air travel is the lowering of aviation kerosene, responsible for 40% of ticket prices. According to França, there is a plan involving airlines, the tourist sector and Petrobras to reduce the price of fuel, which Brazil produces but is not self-sufficient.

“We made the first major breakthrough just this week with the issue of [corte no preço da] gasoline and diesel. The next step now is to convince Petrobras to be able to lower the price of QAV, put it at a national price and leave the international price”, he said.

According to him, the state-owned company has the capacity to produce 100%, but it produces 93% and imports the other 7%. However, he considers that the change is not something simple, as it involves Petrobras’ autonomy.