By Leonardo Neri and Fabiana Porta

The years 2014 and 2016 marked and accentuated the poor quality of national airports. In world events (World Cup in 2014 and Olympics in 2016), the State recognized the precariousness and need for greater investments in a fundamental mode of international transportation of people and cargo. It was concluded, even in the State model prior to the current one, the need to delegate the precarious execution of airport services to private entities, in view of the increase in investments to improve the quality of the services provided.

In 2012, the country's main airport, Guarulhos International, alongside Brasília and Viracopos airports in Campinas/SP, which concentrate the largest numbers of passengers, was granted to the private sector, inaugurating a series of privatizations in this sector.

Thus, with the aim of attracting investments, improving the system and improving the provision of services, in 2017, the Federal Government included other airports in the National Privatization Program, an investment of 30 years of concession estimated at R$21,500,000,000.00.

Currently, the Concessions Program – 6th round – includes 12 airports, located in 09 states of the federation, which are divided into blocks: Northeast, Central-West and Southeast Blocks and, in 2019, demanded 24.3 million passengers.

The preliminary studies and the proposals for the Notice and Administrative Contract have already been filed with the Federal Court of Auditors – filed on September 16, 2020 – and the Federal Government expects the Court to authorize the publication of the notices in the first half of 2021 for the completion of the concession executions in 2021.

Mazzucco&Mello are closely monitoring the Federal Government's next steps and are ready to advise investors interested in operating important airports in the country.