State deputy Michael Diniz (SDD) announced that he will work to call a plebiscite to consult the population of Rio Grande do Norte on the reactivation of the Augusto Severo Airport.
This statement was made at a public hearing held this Monday morning (29/08) at the Legislative Assembly of RN, to deal with the restitution of the airport operation and area of the international airport of São Gonçalo do Amarante to the airport located in Parnamirim.
“The proposal is to reactivate [Augusto Severo Airport] through the Air Force in partnership with the Ministry of Defense. A technical study carried out by the Ministry of Infrastructure highlighted the potential of the airport, which has always been profitable and cheaper. Given this, we are going to call the first plebiscite in the history of RN for the reactivation of Augusto Severo Airport. The RN population was not consulted for 8 years and now pays for this error”, he said after claiming to have received a positive opinion from the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) on the reactivation of the Augusto Severo airport.
“The deactivation of Augusto Severo Airport left a series of promises for the population, such as the much talked about TAM hub, which went to Fortaleza, among other losses. But what impressed me was never having seen a politician fight for the heritage of his city. With that in mind, I went to Brasilia, participated in meetings, and I have the feeling of being the father of this fight.”, argued Michael Diniz.
Defenders of the election, the president of CDL Parnamirim, Bira Marques, and the president of the Instituto de Advogados Potiguares, Marcelo Torres, praised the proposition of a plebiscite.
“The trip from the airport to São Gonçalo had a negative effect, so much so that it was returned. And if society calls for it, we just have to realize that the proposition is very welcome”, said Marcelo Torres. For Bira Marques, “nothing that was promised for São Gonçalo airport happened”.
Former civil aviation commander and specialist in the sector, Nestor Galhardo, criticized the way in which São Gonçalo do Amarante airport was built.
“São Gonçalo airport is horrible, unfriendly. It was built to be for cargo, when they saw that the big planes weren't going to land here, they turned it into a enger airport. But they forgot people. That crate doesn't allow people to see the planes. All major airports allow the view of planes, man likes planes”, he exemplified.
The specialist also presented a series of suggestions, such as transforming the Aluízio Alves airport into a connection airport.
Representing the city of Natal, the chief of staff of the Extraordinary Secretariat for Project Management, Abraão Júnior, declared for the initiative.
“Tourism in Natal is harmed and we cannot do without an airport”, said.
Present at the debate were businessmen Manoel Diniz and João Helder, and representatives of organized civil society, Agenor Neto, from SindPostos, Mateus Fernandes, from Direita Jovem, and André Arruda, from the blog Senadinho Macaíba. According to Michael, senators and federal deputies from the potiguar bench were invited to the debate.
