Rio Grande do Sul submits possible airport sites

Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state airport agency Departamento Aeroportuario (DAP) has submitted to the Civil Aviation Institute (IAC) two possible sites for a new regional airport near the city of Caxias do Sul, a DAP official told BNamericas. A decision from the IAC - part of the country's Civil Aviation Authority (DAC) - regarding the preferred site is expected by year-end, said the official, adding that once a site is chosen, the airport's executive project will be drafted. According to preliminary information, the new airport would have a 3.5km runway versus the area's current one that has a 1.9km runway. The project carries an estimated price tag of 25mn-30mn reais (US$8.76mn-10.5mn). According to authorities, the region needs a new airport because Caxias do Sul is a major industrial pole and growth needs require a longer runway capable of handling larger cargo aircraft, such as Boeing 767 and 747 aircraft. Environmental restrictions prevent the current airport's runway from being extended. Some 350,000 passengers/year pass through the current airport.