The National Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SAC), in light of information about the possibility of increasing the number of passengers at Santos Dumont Airport, clarified, this Wednesday (18), that no decision on whether or not to increase the number of passengers at Santos Dumont will be made without extensive dialogue with the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, and other state authorities, with the entire aviation sector and civil society.
According to SAC, what is currently being discussed is strengthening aviation in the state of Rio de Janeiro. “We want to continue working to increase the number of passengers in Rio. There is no decision or determination from the National Secretariat of Civil Aviation to make the capacity of Santos Dumont airport more flexible.”
The secretariat also highlighted that, in line with the Federal Court of Auditors (TCU), which instructs the representation process related to the operational restriction at Santos Dumont, and, in accordance with the public policy guideline established to improve the quality of service at the airport, the Ministry of Ports and Airports continuously monitors the impacts of said policy.
According to the SAC, the document with the proposal suggested by the TCU was only for consultation and evaluation by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and Infraero. “This does not mean authorization for the flexibility of the number of passengers at Santos Dumont airport,” the agency also says. The document proposes that Santos Dumont return to the number of ten million passengers per year.
The National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) also reported that there is no determination for the proposal, sent by SAC to ANAC. “The measure is only of a preliminary consultation nature. There is no decision or determination regarding the flexibility of the capacity of Santos Dumont Airport”, it clarified.
Firjan and ACRJ
Also on Wednesday, the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan) and the Commercial Association of Rio de Janeiro (ACRJ) released a joint statement, in which they repudiate the increase in the number of passengers at Santos Dumont Airport as it puts the quality of its operations and the viability of Tom Jobim International Airport (Galeão) at risk.
According to industry and trade entities, limiting the number of passengers to up to 6.5 million per year at Santos Dumont Airport, a measure taken in 2023, allowed for the economic and usability balance of the two airports.
“This initiative – defended by the state government, city hall and business entities, including Firjan and ACRJ – resulted in safety, comfort and rationality at Santos Dumont and the possibility of international connecting flights at Galeão, allowing Rio de Janeiro to once again be the gateway for a large part of the international flights arriving in Brazil”.
The number of passengers at Galeão increased by 94% in the first half of this year compared to the first six months of 2023. Regarding cargo transportation at this airport, the increase was 38% in the same period. A study by Firjan indicates that the efficient operation of the two airports is capable of generating R$4.5 billion per year for the economy of Rio de Janeiro.
