About 25 investors, among them CEOs of airport concessionaires and airline companies, met this Thursday, February 2, with the Ministry of Ports and Airports and the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). On the agenda, the rebidding of the International Airport of Natal – Governador Aluízio Alves (ASGA), in São Gonçalo do Amarante (RN).
The event was opened by the Minister of Ports and Airports, Márcio França. On the occasion, the minister stated that there is a great effort by the government in relation to the viability of regional airports, which have a character of accessibility and national integration. França also highlighted the need to invest in mechanisms that can lower the cost of airline tickets. “Our goal is to double the number of people who will be able to travel by plane and expand the number of state airports”, he said.
At the meeting, the airport's differentials and a feasibility study were presented for airport operators interested in investing in the expansion, maintenance and operation of the airport, ensuring the maintenance of efficiency and excellence in the provision of services. Present at the meeting, the mayor of the city, Eraldo Daniel de Paiva, presented the economic context of the city and the opportunities for growth.
ANAC's CEO, Juliano Noman, spoke of the importance of listening to investors in order to seek, in this adjustment phase, the best solution for ASGA. “We hope that the re-bidding of the airport will be a milestone for this new phase of integration of the country by air transport”, he highlighted. Next, Tiago Pereira, director of ANAC, thanked Concessionária Inframérica for its work, which has contributed a lot to the success of the airport's re-bidding process.
The Director of Corporate Affairs at Inframérica S/A, Rogério Coimbra, reinforced the commitment to continue maintaining the airport with quality of service until the final transition to the new concessionaire. He indicated that the opportunity is attractive for investors, stating that, in the case of ASGA, there was never a lack of partnership with the government.
The representative of the Government of Rio Grande do Norte, Bruno Reis, highlighted the economic and tourist potential of the State. According to him, the airport of São Gonçalo do Amarante, after the rebidding, will contribute even more to the development of the region as a whole.
Next steps
Also this Thursday, in the afternoon, technical meetings promoted by ANAC will be held with interested investors. The publication of the re-bidding notice is expected to be on the agenda at the Deliberative Meeting of the Collegiate Board of Directors (REDIR) of ANAC, which will take place next Tuesday, February 8th. At that time, the date of the auction may also be defined.
Natal/São Gonçalo do Amaranto Airport
The airport, located in the municipality of São Gonçalo do Amaranto, is located in a strategic region of Rio Grande do Norte. It is 18 kilometers from the Port of Natal, capital of the state, and 30 kilometers from the city center, in addition to being close to roads that connect to other capitals in the Northeast, such as João Pessoa (PB) and Recife (PE). The city is part of the metropolitan region of Natal, which has more than one million inhabitants.
Inaugurated on May 31, 2014, the air terminal has the capacity to receive six million engers a year. It was the first in Brazil to be granted to the private sector, when airport concession rounds began in Brazil at the beginning of the last decade.
Street: ANAC
