Brazil updates notice for US$1.5bn airport concessions

Brazilian airport regulator ANAC updated the notice for the planned concession of 15 airports. 

ANAC included fresh legal information in the notice that is under evaluation by audit court TCU, which must give final approval for the auction. 

"The auction is expected to take place this half, assuring 7.3bn reais [US$1.46bn] in private investments. So Brazil will reach this year the mark of 49 airports operated by the private sector," the infrastructure ministry said in a release. 

Originally, the government was planning to auction concessions for 16 airports in the first half of this year, in three blocks combining more profitable with less profitable ones. 

However, after a surprise move involving airports in Rio de Janeiro, the government was obligated to change its strategy. The current operator of Rio’s Galeão international airport said earlier this month it will return its concession, citing financial difficulties.  

That affected plans for a concession for Rio’s other major airport, Santos Dumont, one of the 16 originally expected to be offered this year. 

Due to this twist, the government will now offer the 15 airports this half and is planning to offer next year a concession for Santos Dumont and Galeão. 

The three blocks are: 

SP/MS/PA/MG: comprises Congonhas (the country's second busiest airport, in São Paulo state); Campo Grande, Corumbá and Ponta Porã in Mato Grosso do Sul state; Santarém, Marabá, Carajás and Altamira in Pará; and Uberlândia, Uberaba and Montes Claros in Minas Gerais state. Projected investment is 5.89bn reais and a minimum fee of 255mn reais.

Aviação Geral: comprises Campo de Marte airport in São Paulo state and Jacarepaguá in Rio de Janeiro, with projected investment of 560mn reais and a 138mn-real minimum fee.

Norte II block: comprises the airports in Bélem, Pará state, and Macapá, Amapá state, with 875mn reais in estimated investments and a minimum fee of 57mn reais.