Two key Brazil airports to be privatized in 2022

After taking office on January 1, the Jair Bolsonaro administration will start a privatizing process for two of Brazil's main airports, Congonhas (pictured), in São Paulo city, and Santos Dumont, in Rio de Janeiro city. Auctions should start in 2022.

The government plans to offer concessions for all airports administered by federal authority Infraero during its four-year term.

As part of the plan, concessions are offered in blocks, combining more profitable with less profitable airports.

Congonhas and Santos Dumont will be offered through separate blocks in the first quarter of 2022, said incoming civil aviation secretary Ronei Glanzmann according to O Estado de S. Paulo.

Santos Dumont will be offered together with seven small airports in Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states.

Meanwhile, Congonhas will be offered in a package with five airports, in São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul states.

Airports authority Infraero administers 55 airports. An auction to offer concessions for 12 of them is already scheduled for March 2019. Two more rounds are expected for 2020 and 2022.

The next government will evaluate privatizing or even scrapping Infraero within the next three years.