WORLD ROUTES: Brasilia Airport Becomes Brazil’s Second Largest Passenger Airport

During the first six months of 2014 Brasília Airport received more than 8.6 million passengers, an increase of 13 per cent over the same period of 2013, according to data collected by Inframérica, the concessionaire that manages the airport. This increase has positioned the airport at the second largest by passenger traffic among all Brazilian airports, only behind Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport.

According to Daniel Ketchibachian, Commercial Director at Inframérica, this increase in passenger traffic was made possible by the investment of R$ 1.2 billion in renovation and expansion work at Brasilia Airport, which guaranteed the full capacity to accommodate this flow. "Winning 2nd place among the busiest Brazilian airports is proof that our hard work and dedication are paying off. This result provides a favourable environment for new investments and new routes at the airport," he explained to The HUB during World Routes in Chicago.

Today, passengers that travel through the new terminal in Brasília benefit from more modern and comfortable space. The new boarding lounges, the North Pier and the South Pier doubled the airport's capacity, which now offers 29 jetways versus 13 six months ago. "Improvements will continue over the next years of the concession, with additional work to tailor the structure of the airport to the future demand" said Ketchibachian.

Brasília Airport has also been consolidated its position as the best hub for domestic connections in Brazil, with almost four million passengers connecting in the first half of this year, an increase of 21 per cent compared to 2013. "We continue to develop Brasília, preferred by passengers for its strategic geographical position at the centre of Brazil, and offering the largest choice of routes between north and south of the country,” noted Ketchibachian.

“Moreover, we increase our international routes, giving passengers the opportunity to travel abroad without connecting in south-east. Another reason for the increase of traffic at the airport was a reduction in the State VAT on fuel for airplanes that fell from 25 per cent to 12 per cent, attracting new flights to Brasília" he added.

In the first semester the airport also achieved a significant success with international traffic. With 277,633 passengers in six months, international passengers increased by 13 per cent and the number of movements increased by 17 per cent. The opening of the Air France Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle route in March 2014 and the World Cup largely contributed to this increase. Only in June, during the World Cup, 555 take-offs and landings have been managed to international destinations.

The international market is a massive growth opportunity in Brasília. A brand new international pier will increase the airport capacity to grow this market. “Connecting in Brasília is offering a much better experience to passengers and the new infrastructure is designed to achieve the lowest connect time in the country, unlocking possibilities for international travellers,” said Ketchibachian.

“Combined with our geographical location, passengers can save between three and five hours on their total journey time by connecting in Brasília. International airlines are working actively with us to grow international operations, optimise connection opportunities and overall save on flight time and operational costs to serve the Brazilian market” he concluded.